Higher Unemployment’s Upside: More Family Time?

help unwanted Recent data showed the U.S. economy lost 80,000 jobs in March, the biggest drop in five years. Obviously this is bad news for many families. But are some finding that working less — or not at all — isn’t so bad after all?

In a February WSJ article about big U.S. law firms bracing for a leaner 2008, the chairperson of Goodwin Procter LLP is quoted as saying that the slowdown means people are “working at a normal pace” rather than being “too busy.” The slowdown, she said, was “refreshing, for most people.” Of course working less is probably only “refreshing” for those families where at least one parent is still employed or there’s still an adequate amount of income to cover basic living costs.

We were terrified when my husband was laid off from his job earlier this year, but so far it’s turned out OK. While he is home job hunting he’s also taking care of our two kids. This saves us from having to pay for a nanny, which likely would have canceled out most of my salary anyway. (I was on maternity leave after the birth of our second child when he lost his job, so we hadn’t yet had to face the increased cost of childcare for two kids v. just one.) To his surprise, he’s finding life isn’t too bad as a stay-at-home dad. He’s engaged our two-and-a-half year old son in “projects” around the house, such as building a birdhouse and doing minor renovations (my son “helps” daddy with his own set of toy tools). And being home has given my husband a chance to bond with our six-month-old baby girl. He is still planning to return to work because he fears that being out of the work force too long will make it difficult to go back. But the idea of being a stay-at-home parent doesn’t seem so unthinkable anymore.

Readers, has the economy caused you to cut back your hours or turned you unwittingly into an at-home parent? Have you found yourself enjoying the extra time at home more than you thought you would?

Sara Schaefer Muñoz is on vacation until Tuesday, April 15.