The structural unemployment is a current phenomenon of the capitalism. The aim of this study was to investigate which are the major effects of the unemployment. A total of 20 study cases were developed with unemployed people; all of them were applying for jobs offered by the National Employment System in Ribeirão Preto (Brazil). Both genders and ages ranging from 35 to 45 years old were accepted for the positions. The results showed some strategies (predominantly individualized) used when facing unemployment situations. These strategies were characterized by the realization of precarious work and search for jobs in specialized organizations. Our results pointed out the necessity of searching new forms of supporting the studied population, considering affective features associated to the unemployment phenomenon and favoring shared actions and not individualized ones.
Unemployment; mental health; work