Funemployment

Who is unemployed, employed or FUNEMPLOYED????
I had never heard of this word until last week. I had only heard of the word "unenjoyment" because I always perceived being unemployed as a bad thing. Living in a resort town I know people who work seasonally in the restruant business, as well as painters who are in a simular work rythem. Apparently, the word funemployment has been around long enough to exsit in the urbandictionary. The least popular use of the word is how I perceived the concept of funemployment, defined as to be unemployed and collecting unemployment, welfare, SSI or other means of income from government. This is especially true if you are on unemployment, and obtaining benefits with no desire to try and find a new job. Instead, the time is used to do other things, like travel, chill, etc.
Before I go into that though, the use of the word in these tough econmic times are for Gen X — workers now entering their late 30s and early 40s — who had little faith in sanctioned career paths and developed a high tolerance for job turnover and freelance work. The first time I came accross this funemployment conceipt was the LA Times and San Fransico News articles who described it best as people who describe themselves as happily jobless are generally single and young. They live with their savings, unemployment checks, severance packages, or their parents' money and "do not spend their days poring over job listings." Instead they go to the beach, travel cheaply, volunteer, and drink lots of margaritas. Many people have become disillustioned with the traditional idea of the American Dream. Those who havn't got the pressure of having a family, having a mortgage to pay and their only attachment to responsiblity was a job that they just lost, the time has come to take a break and reflect on what they want to do while they take a break from life and enjoy themselves. While the maximum weekly benefit of $475 (raised under Obama from the previous $450) is relatively low, from the perspective of a young, healthy worker without kids or a mortgage, this may be one of the most propitious times to be receiving unemployment-insurance payments in the nation's history.