As an extension of the research into strategies for handling economic adversity of young people in poor families, this study examines strategy use in the context of middle-income families affected by unemployment. Interviews with 39 young people in previously comfortably-off families where one or both of the parents had become unemployed were conducted. The purpose was to explore how, in a Swedish context, young people think about and respond to situations following a drastic reduction in family income. Results indicate that while the strategies used by these young people are generally similar to those in poor families, no use of avoidance-oriented strategies was found. This, it is argued, is because parental unemployment and financial adversity are not perceived as stigmatizing.