Methodological issues in unemployment research: Quantitative and/or qualitative approaches?

Abstract

Both quantitative and/or qualitative methodologies have been used in unemployment research. During the last 15 years however, quantitative methods have dominated. It is argued that strictly quantitative studies on their own may no longer advance knowledge in this field. Therefore, to deepen the understanding in this important research area, qualitative techniques need to be reintegrated into unemployment research. An example of this is the author's study of employment commitment and mental health of 532 long‐term unemployed people. The instruments used were the General Health Questionnaire‐12, the Rosenberg Self‐esteem Scale, a questionnaire and an in‐depth self‐selection interview. This procedure was repeated with 99 people in a follow‐up study one year later. The results of the quantitative data collection method on employment commitment are compared with results obtained by the qualitative method and are discussed with reference to the benefits of incorporating a qualitative component into an otherwise quantitative methodology.