Even optimists blue when unemployed

TORONTO, Oct. 29 (UPI) -- Despite the long-held belief that some people are just born optimists no matter what, even optimists get the blues when unemployed, a Canadian researcher says.

Ulrich Schimmack of the University of Toronto, Jurgen Schupp of the Free University of Berlin and Gert G. Wagner of the Berlin University of Technology said it was believed optimists bounce back with relative ease from disappointment and dismay.

However, the article published in Social Indicator Research, reports even those who tend to see the sunny side of things find it difficult to look on the bright side when jobless.

"This research addresses the age-old question: how much of our well-being is determined by issues within ourselves and how much by factors outside ourselves?" Schimmack said in a statement. "We found that certain life circumstances -- like unemployment -- can have a significant effect on a person's sense of well-being, whether they're generally an optimist or not."

Using interviews and data from German participants age 16 to 94, the researchers determined even optimists struggled with being out of work.

While some studies show positive aspects of unemployment, such as increased leisure time, the researchers said the cons, such as the loss of income and sense of security, definitely outweigh the supposed benefits.