Active job search: The influence of socio-demographic characteristics

Abstract

Unemployment is a stressful experience since it puts a person in an insecure situation and requires various changes in a person's everyday life. Active job search is an important predictor of finding a job. Findings on the factors of differences in willingness for an active job search are significant and useful in creating counseling models for the unemployed. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of socio-demographic characteristics on the choice of strategies used to cope with unemployment stress and on willingness to try out various forms of active job search, as well as to determine whether willingness for active job search can be predicted based on particular strategies for coping with stress caused by unemployment. The sample of participants included 304 unemployed persons registered with the Employment Service of the Republic of Srpska in Banja Luka. The scales used in the study included the aspirations scale and employment expectations scale, the scale of strategies for coping with unemployment stress, the scale of willingness to try out forms of active job search; and the socio-demographic characteristics questionnaire. The results showed that the socio-demographic characteristics such as gender, age, level of education, length of the unemployment period and material circumstances affected the choice of a stress coping strategy. Willingness to try out forms of active job search is affected by socio-demographic characteristics such as gender, age, level of education and material circumstances. It was also found that the problem-focused strategies for coping with unemployment stress were significant predictors of willingness for active job search.