Unemployed White Men: So Much to Lose

Guest: Shervin Assari, MD, Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Public Health, University of Michigan When you’re dragging yourself out of bed for work in the morning, you may not realize it, but having a job is good for your health and life expectancy. That’s especially true if you’re a white man. Women and black men don’t get nearly the same boost to their health from being employed. On the flip side, white men tend to suffer worse health consequences when they lose a job. Health disparities researcher Shervin Assari refers to this phenomenon as “the vulnerability that comes with privilege.”