Study of the consequences of unemployment on young people in Kermanshah

Involuntary job loss or inability to get a job is associated with countless problems for the individual, families and society. The experience of unemployment can vary depending on the institutional context of each society. The purpose of this study is to explore the consequences of unemployment on young people and has been done with a qualitative approach and descriptive phenomenological method. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with 19 unemployed men and women aged 20-34 in Kermanshah. The sampling methods are purposive and snowball. In this study, unemployment experiences were identified in five main themes; psychological stress, loss of individual and social identity, financial problems, weakening of family roles and erosion of social capital. The findings show that unemployment is the most important source of stress and anxiety. Unemployment-related financial constraints have overshadowed marriage and childbearing decisions, marital relationships, social interactions, and the quality of life of young people. The shared experience of the respondents in this study showed that not having a job is more than an inability to earn a living. Unemployed people lose not only their jobs, but also many aspects of individual and social identity. They consider their position in the family and social system to be weakened. Therefore In addition to macroeconomic policies, it is important to adopt regulations related to unemployment insurance, provide the necessary training to empower people and job search skills, free or inexpensive technical training and skills to guide people to self-employment activities.