Early career gender differences in job burnout trajectories in Finland: Roles of work, family, and financial resources

Abstract

The gender gap in job burnout research indicates that women score higher on job burnout. However, this gender difference has rarely been studied from developmental perspectives. Moreover, the underlying gender differences in job resources—driven by gendered socialization in early career years—have been under-investigated. The present study examined the trajectory of early career job burnout, gender differences in job burnout development, and gendered job resources. Results from latent growth curve modeling (N = 619, 65.3% women, ages 26–34), using the longitudinal data from three time points (2013–2020), showed that the trajectory of job burnout was decreasing in early career years, and this pattern did not vary between genders. As expected, women scored higher in job burnout. Gender differences in job resources were found: parenthood status only prevented job burnout for women, whereas income and partner support only prevented job burnout for men. Belongingness to the workplace prevented job burnout for both genders. Findings suggest that young adults make use of job resources from their socialization in early career years and experience a decreasing pattern of job burnout. The current gender gap in job burnout may be explained by gender differences in socialization and roles in early career transitions.