It seems far worse to be jobless than to be partnerless. In my experience, nothing murders the self-esteem as quickly and as brutally as being unemployed for more than a month.

I think being jobless while having a partner is worse than being jobless and partnerless. It's hard enough dealing with your own joblessness. Knowing your partner is also dealing with your joblessess adds more suckiness to a supersucky situation. When I was jobless and broke, I was constantly wondering for how much I could sell my bf... or how much more money I could save if he wasn't around. Just kidding.

(No, sadly, not just kidding.)

Looking for a job is analagous to looking for a partner, I guess, but still worse. You can't as easily have one-nite-job-stints, as you can have one-nite-stands. I guess contract work is sorta like having a reg'lar, in-the-meantime, out-of-necessity, minimal-committment, minimal-benefits booty call...

Now that's an interesting thought... Maybe I'm contracted out in more than one way. If so, am I going with the highest bids?