Being out of work is stressful. Being married may make those worries weigh even heavier.
Unemployed husbands and wives recently surveyed noted experiencing stress more often than single job seekers, 81 percent to 51 percent respectively.
The poll of 2,261 U.S. adults, conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of employer information Web site Glassdoor.com, also found that more than a third of both employed and unemployed respondents said job stress associated with work or finding work caused physical or emotional symptoms such as anxiety, insomnia and high blood pressure.
The highest rates of stress were reported among those between ages 35 and 44, while two out of three said the stress affected other areas of their lives. Nearly 40 percent of job hunters said it hindered their personal relationships with friends and family, while almost a quarter said work-related stress had an impact on their relationships as well.
"Especially during an economic recession, many are scared to death that they'll be out in the open job market," said Rusty Rueff, career and workplace expert for Glassdoor.com. "Dealing with your worries and then those same worries of your spouse can feel like the weight of the world on your shoulders, so it makes sense the number is so much higher for those in a marriage or with a family."
The Harris Interactive poll was conducted in the United States between June 22 and June 24.