Recently we asked 925 single women "Would you go out on a date with someone whom you knew was unemployed?" We received the following responses then made the results public, inspiring a number of popular media sites to join the conversation.
- 33% of women said "No."
- 42% answered "Maybe, but I wouldn't want to throw a lot of time into it unless they had a game plan for getting back on track."
- 21% responded with "Yes, but I'd be curious to see how they're keeping occupied in the meantime."
- 4% of women answered with an unreserved "Of course"
It seems the findings fired up some interesting conversation. The results from the It’s Just Lunch study were commented on or included in a number of exploratory articles covered by various publications. Here some are some snippets of those articles.
Huff Post: Unemployed Men Undesirable To Women, "It's Just Lunch" Survey Finds
One women quoted in the press release reflected that a job was a sign that a man was involved in something, which could indicate a desire for a partner who is active and purposeful, rather than one who would take on the traditional role of the sole breadwinner.
Time Moneyland: No Job? No Date for You!
An It’s Just Lunch spokesperson reads these numbers as an indication that “women’s old-fashioned beliefs about sex roles seem to apply.
Jezebel: Cold-Hearted Ladies Refuse to Date Unemployed Men
If you're feeling mean-spirited, it's tempting to read this information as women are just a bunch of money-grubbing gold-diggers. But, in fact, we are not.
Mensactivism.org: Unemployed Men Undesirable To Women, "It's Just Lunch" Survey
The reason, again, wasn't that the women wanted a man to take care of them. Instead participants reported that they wanted a mate with equal earning power to avoid the conflict they foresaw arising if their male partners felt insecure about them earning more.'
Enotalone.com: Most Women Rather Not Date Unemployed Men
Though engaging in a romantic relationship may be a bit harder if you do not have a job, LaCota says that it is just like any other personal trait. All people are human, she said, and therefore, they all will have characteristic features that will be viewed by certain individuals as negatives.
