‘Counting On’: Is Jim Bob Duggar Preventing His Sons From Getting Real Jobs?

Have you ever noticed that the Duggar kids don’t have jobs? Aside from appearing on the family’s reality TV show, none of the adult Duggar children has a steady job. One would expect to see a variety of professions from such an expansive family, but it just hasn’t happened. Some family critics think Jim Bob Duggar is preventing his children from striking out on their own, but others note that the family’s religion likely comes into play.

How many adult children is Jim Bob supporting?

The Duggar family is continually expanding, but Michelle and Jim Bob’s house is getting emptier by the year. As more Duggar kids get married and move out of the family’s home base in Springdale, Arkansas, things are getting a bit quieter. The family’s youngest child is already 10 years old, and eight of the family’s 19 children have already married. That doesn’t mean Jim Bob’s bills are disappearing. In fact, they are growing.

As it stands, Jim Bob and Michelle currently employ Ben Seewald as a tutor. Ben married Jessa Duggar in 2014. Josh Duggar was formerly on the payroll as a used car salesman at a lot owned by Jim Bob, but that lot has since shut down. John-David Duggar, who married Abbie Burnett in 2018, seems to get the bulk of his money from flying his family to and fro. Joseph and Josiah Duggar both work for their father, as do several of the family’s younger, unmarried boys.

The only families who appear even marginally self-sufficient are Jeremy Vuolo and Jinger Duggar, and Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard. It’s pretty apparent that Derick and Jill get no support from the Duggar family, but it’s unknown if Jim Bob is still cutting checks for Jeremy and Jinger to help them with their lifestyle in California. Jinger and Jeremy do still appear on Counting On. Derick and Jill do not.

Is Jim Bob forcing his kids to work for him?

It’s been surmised by family critics that Jim Bob is desperate to maintain control over his adult children. Derick pretty much verified that theory when he took to Instagram to spill the family tea, but could he be keeping kids on the payroll to ensure they continue to follow his rules? Nothing is confirmed, but it seems likely.

In recent months, he sold Joy-Anna Duggar and Austin Forsyth a home for a whopping $10 and has doled out real estate to adult children who abide by his strict rules. Those who don’t follow those rules, however, seem to get very little, both monetarily and emotionally. Fans do note that the family’s strict religious beliefs, making it pretty much impossible for the Duggar kids to strike out on their own and build a stable living.

The church seems to have more to do with it than Jim Bob

The ministry that the Duggar family belongs to seems to be to blame for the lack of gainful employment among the Duggar kids. According to The Hollywood Gossip, the Duggar family’s preferred ministry strongly discourages men from taking orders from women, even in a professional setting, and suggests men should avoid working for secular companies.

The IBLP has pretty strong views about women in the workforce, too. In fact, the concept is entirely verboten, save for a few women who are employed by the IBLP in internship-level positions. Light filing and cleaning are acceptable, but only when they have yet to marry and have children. It’s unclear how the IBLP feels about women like Jill, Jinger, and Jessa supporting their families through sponsorships and social media influencing.