Alcohol and redundancy

The economic downturn shows little sign of slowing down and the chances are it has already directly affected you or somebody close to you. Everybody deals with redundancy in their own way; many see it as an opportunity to do something completely different with their lives, but coping with the initial shock can be hard to say the least.

Recent Drinkaware research has revealed that in the months since the start of the recession there has been a defined change in the UK's alcohol consumption patterns. Of the 2000 people we interviewed in a survey, 61% of those who knew someone who has been made redundant in the last six months - including themselves - said that they are concerned about the increase in their alcohol consumption. One in 10 (11%) of them are drinking “a lot more”, while nearly three-quarters (71%) of them put this increase in drinking alcohol directly to redundancy.

We have spoken to medical experts and people affected by the downturn to get their views on the best ways of coping with redundancy, and to offer five immediate steps to get you back on track.

We’ve also teamed up with leading careers coach and author John Lees to offer a practical guide to getting back into work and staying healthy.

Page last updated by

Miroslaw Jetka (Squiz), 02 Oct 2009.

Page checked on

02 Oct 2009