"I am employed full-time. My husband is currently unemployed, after being laid off from his tech job. I'm the only one making ends meet and sometimes, I can't. I feel very frustrated by my husband's lack of "get up and go." He has been unemployed for over 15 months. I'm fed up and have threatened divorce a couple of times. Nothing ever changes. We got married when he first lost his job, because he needed insurance. I'm very stressed out and have been getting sick from all the stress."
"I'm very scared that I'll have a heart attack from the stress and pass away. He is 52 and nobody hires 52-year-old web developers. But he refuses to try to find a different job! I wouldn't care if he worked at Home Depot! Any amount of money that came in would save me so much! Any ideas how I can tell him that, while I love him, I can't do this anymore?"
The employed spouse carries the entire financial load while the husband has been unemployed for over 15 months after a tech layoff. Repeated threats of divorce have failed to prompt change and may have reinforced his complacency. The wife reports severe stress, physical illness, and fear of a heart attack. The husband, 52, cites age-related hiring barriers and refuses to pursue other work despite the spouse's willingness to accept any job. Any income would ease the situation. Forcing employment is impossible, but doing nothing should be made unacceptable; therapists advise mentioning divorce only if prepared to follow through.
Read at Slate Magazine
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