It is primarily psychological difference. I have 10 years of expense as savings. But that is tied in my retirement/emergency/child education plans. If I stop earning for 1 year, I'll be dipping in them which will create a pressure.

It's relative, but having to dig into your 401k isn't an attractive alternative, one I'd only consider in truly dire straits. You are capped in how much you can put in a year so it's not like a savings account you can aggressively make up for after getting hired.

I'd much rather resort to temp work than dig deeply into my future if I had a choice.

If I could help it I'd rather invest in