Economic Insecurity Research Articles

Economic Insecurity during the COVID-19 Pandemic among Healthcare Workers by Educational Attainment

Abstract Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers with less formal education (e.g., nursing assistants, home care aides) versus more formal education (e.g., physicians, nurses) were more likely to experience economic insecurity, the real and/or perceived risk of financial losses. Given the unprecedented impact of COVID-19 on healthcare workers, we sought to describe economic insecurity among these workers during the pandemic. Using data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey from July 2021 to July 2023, we examined economic insecurity among healthcare workers by educational attainment. Higher proportions of healthcare workers with an associate degree or below reported difficulty paying usual expenses, food insufficiency, and being behind on rent/mortgage payments compared to healthcare workers with a bachelor’s degree or higher. Accounting for other sociodemographic characteristics, higher educational attainment was associated with significantly lower odds of economic insecurity. Since the public health emergency has ended and temporary policies to support low wage workers during the pandemic have sunsetted, targeted policies to promote economic security among financially vulnerable low wage workers are critical to enable recruitment and retention of these essential healthcare workers.

Do temporary employees experience increased material deprivation? Evidence from German panel data

Economic insecurity has recently received increasing attention as a determinant of material deprivation. We contribute to this line of research by analysing the relationship between temporary employment and material deprivation. We argue that temporary workers face exacerbated deprivation because they may forego basic needs to provide for an uncertain future. Using German panel data for the years 2008–2020, we find that temporary employment increases material deprivation among workers, particularly in low-income households. This finding is robust to our controlling for important variables such as household income and needs, individual- and household fixed effects and when considering lagged independent variables. The association is not driven by young or highly educated workers who may be more likely to hold temporary jobs without experiencing sustained material deprivation. We also find that temporary agency work, perceived job insecurity and firm turnover rates aggravate material deprivation. This supports the theoretical assumption that the impact of temporary employment on material deprivation is driven by the economic insecurities faced by temporary workers.

Let Them Have the Cities: Inflation, Collapse, and Retreat in the Postwar Survivalist West

Abstract Before our contemporary label of “prepper,” and preceding the widespread adoption of “survivalist” in the late 1970s, those who sought self-sufficiency and security in remote locales of the American continent were known as “retreaters.” Anticipating catastrophes—chiefly hyperinflation, nuclear war, and urban chaos—violent enough to rend the social fabric of an increasingly decadent United States, these retreaters fled the swelling cities for the imagined security of the rural West to ride out the impending apocalypse. This article argues that one of the most salient and overlooked prime movers of the survivalist movement was a pervasive economic anxiety, metastasizing with the rampant stagflation of the 1970s. Drawing, for the first time, on twenty-five years of survivalist books, pamphlets, and newsletters, this paper shows that the secular eschatology of survivalism demands study if historians are to attain a clearer picture of the intellectual heritage of radical right millenarian visions from the late twentieth century up to the present day.

Leveraging Data Science Technology for Advancing Credit Risk Assessment

The evaluation of credit risk (CR) has become prominent in recent years, particularly among banks, as default rates are on the rise and economic insecurity remains persistent. Traditional credit scoring techniques oftentimes are inadequate and provide little means for risk estimation, necessitating the development of new models using data science methodologies. In this study, a novel Intelligent Dwarf Mongoose tuned Light Gradient Boosting Machine (IDM-LGBM) model that boosts the accuracy of CR and improves forecasting performance, is introduced. The Light Gradient Boosting Machine model's hyperparameters were optimized using the Intelligent Dwarf Mongoose technique, improving the model's predictive strength. The CR dataset was gathered from the Kaggle platform. The data is then pre-processed using Z-score normalization. To evaluate the efficiency of the suggested IDM-LGBM technique, which has been implemented employing a Python platform. Results show that the IDM-LGBM model performed significantly better than conventional methods in terms of recall (98.1%), accuracy (97.2%), F1-score (97.4%), and precision (96.5%). Subsequent studies could concentrate on addressing real-time data streams and enhancing models to respond to the changing credit environment.

Intertwined precariousness and precarity: Disentangling a phenomenon that characterises Spanish youth

AbstractThe growth of non‐standard employment has emerged as a crucial factor that contributes to delays and difficulties in young people's transitions to adulthood. Previous studies have demonstrated the importance of multidimensional measures of precariousness. This paper aims to investigate the phenomenon of precariousness holistically, using an original database of respondents in Spain from 20 to 34 years of age. Using a mixed‐methods approach, we explore young people's understandings of precariousness and examine its key determinants and consequences. The findings illustrate the multidimensional nature of feelings of precariousness, with economic insecurity and work conditions being core elements. Our results point to precarity stemming from a combination of inextricably intertwined objective and subjective components, as well as work and economic dimensions.

“Tell me what I'm doing wrong”: Criticism of parenting choices and mental health during COVID-19

During the COVID-19 pandemic, parents struggled with high levels of economic insecurity and mental health difficulties. Social cognitive theory suggests that receiving criticism from others contributes to psychological distress. This mixed-methods study explored longitudinal associations between receiving criticism about parenting choices and parental anxiety, depression, and financial worries during COVID-19. Survey data were collected at two time points in April 2020 from a national U.S. sample of 359 parents (70 % White, 67 % female, average age 34 years). Quantitative analyses were conducted using logistic and linear regression, and qualitative responses were coded to elucidate topics of criticism. Criticism at T1 was associated with increased parental anxiety, depression, and financial worries at T2 after controlling for these outcomes at T1. Content coding revealed parents were criticized for lenient parenting styles (20.63 %) or for being too strict with COVID-19 precautions (18.13 %). Being criticized about parenting choices may exacerbate mental health problems. Parents may benefit from receiving positive feedback about their parenting methods, either through social media or from family members.

The Anxious Middle Class: Risk of Downward Mobility and Support for Radical Right Parties across Western Europe

This paper examines the relationship between economic insecurity of the middle class and support for radical right parties (RRP) in 13 Western European countries. Economic insecurity is conceptualised as the occupational risk of downward mobility. To capture the potential mitigating effects of upward mobility prospects and a growing middle class on economic insecurity, I compute a novel index that incorporates the other two dynamics in addition to the risk of downward mobility. I find that economic insecurity differs across occupational groups and countries. Both measures are positively correlated with RRP support. The results highlight that the decline of the middle class has implications for the political sphere.

Anti-Gender Politics, Economic Insecurity, and Right-Wing Populism: The Rise of Modern Sexism among Young Men in South Korea

Anti-Gender Politics, Economic Insecurity, and Right-Wing Populism: The Rise of Modern Sexism among Young Men in South Korea

The Crisis of the 1930s and American Antisemitism

Abstract This article explores the economic and psychological impact of the Great Depression on the American population, emphasizing the rise of antisemitism during the 1930s. We begin with a historical overview of the economic downturn following the Wall Street Crash of 1929, with an emphasis on the ensuing unemployment and social despair. We argue that the representation of the Great Depression diverged from reality, with public discourse constructing an ‘imagined crisis’ that amplified fears and uncertainties. This crisis rhetoric led to the scapegoating of the Jewish community, which was unjustly blamed for the nation’s hardships. The article provides an in-depth analysis of how Henry Ford’s dissemination of “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion” and Father Charles E. Coughlin’s radio broadcasts contributed to spreading antisemitic sentiments by exploiting economic anxieties and promoting a narrative of Jewish conspiracy. Furthermore, the article discusses the historical context of American antisemitism, identifying it as a complex phenomenon influenced by various factors, including religious, economic, and political antisemitism. Despite efforts to combat antisemitic rhetoric, figures like Ford and Coughlin played a significant role in shaping public perceptions and directing blame towards the Jewish community during times of crisis. We conclude that the crisis of the 1930s, marked by unprecedented economic hardship and social unrest, was exacerbated by ideological discourses that targeted Jews as scapegoats, reflecting a disturbing pattern of prejudice and discrimination that has echoed into contemporary times.

Mlambe economic and relationship-strengthening intervention for alcohol use decreases violence and improves relationship quality in couples living with HIV in Malawi

IntroductionA syndemic of unhealthy alcohol use, intimate partner violence (IPV), and economic insecurity threatens to derail progress towards UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets in sub-Saharan Africa. We developed a combined economic and relationship-strengthening intervention called Mlambe to reduce unhealthy alcohol use and increase adherence to antiretroviral therapy for couples in Malawi. This study evaluates the additional impact of Mlambe on IPV and relationship dynamics. MethodsIn a pilot randomized controlled trial, 78 married couples (156 individuals) living with HIV and reporting unhealthy alcohol use based on the AUDIT-C (at least one partner) were recruited from HIV care clinics in Zomba, Malawi. The intervention arm (39 couples) received a 10-month program consisting of incentivized savings accounts with financial literacy education, relationship education, and couples counseling sessions to build relationship skills. The control arm (39 couples) received enhanced usual care (EUC) with brief alcohol counseling. We used linear mixed-effects models to assess the effects of Mlambe on relationship quality (e.g., constructive communication, unity, sexual satisfaction) and IPV (physical, sexual, and emotional) by including fixed effects for treatment arm and a random effect for dyad, and tested whether effects on IPV and relationship quality differed by gender. ResultsAt 10- and 15-month follow-up visits, couples in the Mlambe arm showed greater increases in couple communication, unity, sexual satisfaction, intimacy, and trust (Cohen's d ranged from 0.36 to 0.56; p < 0.05) as compared to EUC. Couples in the Mlambe arm also showed significant decreases in physical and emotional IPV (Cohen's d ranged from 0.33 to 0.49; p < 0.05) as compared to EUC. Subsequent moderation analyses indicated that women reported significantly greater improvements in relationship quality than men, except for sexual satisfaction (p < 0.05), and greater declines in physical IPV than men (p < 0.05). ConclusionsMlambe resulted in significant improvements in relationship quality and decreased IPV in couples, particularly for women who as a group reported lower relationship quality at baseline. Economic and relationship-strengthening interventions have potential to disrupt harmful syndemics of violence, substance use, and poverty among couples living with HIV. Clinical trial numberNCT#04906616.

Material hardship and use of social safety net programs among LGBT adults and their families

AbstractLesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people experience higher levels of economic insecurity and poverty compared to non‐LGBT people. Social safety net programs may reduce this disparity, but the uptake of these programs among LGBT adults has rarely been assessed. We conducted a secondary data analysis of the 2018–2020 Well‐Being and Basic Needs Survey to compare differences in material hardship and social safety net program utilization between LGBT and non‐LGBT adults in the United States. LGBT participants were more likely to report lack of an emergency fund, food insecurity, utilities hardship, medical hardship, and multiple material hardships. LGBT adults had higher odds compared to non‐LGBT adults of using SNAP, income‐ or disability‐based insurance, SSI or SSDI, and housing assistance. There were no differences in use of WIC, reduced‐price/free school lunch benefits, or charitable food. Future studies are needed to evaluate the efficacy of the social safety net programs for reducing material hardship.

"Kuteteza": A community-engaged COVID-19 Prevention and Protection Initiative in Southern Malawi.

The COVID-19 epidemic in Malawi involved almost 90,000 recorded cases and 2,638 deaths. In response to early concerns about vulnerable older people in rural areas, we developed 'Kuteteza': a COVID-19 mitigation response project. Clinicians, public health professionals, and researchers collaborated with government and district-level staff in two Southern Malawi districts. Interventions included supported 'shielding' of older people - minimising social mixing whilst having their daily needs supported. Additional mitigation strategies included provision of masks, handwashing stations, and soap. Government partnerships allowed additional support for vulnerable groups. We present the findings of a realist project evaluation, assessing the feasibility of this approach. We collated anonymised descriptive data on Kuteteza procedures and conducted qualitative structured observations in villages involved in the initiative. We carried out three focus groups involving community members, frontline health staff, and volunteers in each setting. These provided deeper insights into experiences of the pandemic and impacts of the intervention, including suggested opportunities during future outbreaks. The project involved 25 villages across two districts, with 1,087 people over the age of 60 voluntarily participating in 'shielding'. Supplies of food, water, and cooking fuel were mostly arranged within the family. In Kuteteza villages, the handwashing stations and soap were widely used, and there was awareness and some observance of COVID-19 prevention measures. The project, including the provision of supplies, was greatly appreciated by communities, but wider contextual constraints - namely widespread economic insecurity - presented persisting challenges. Suggestions for improvement largely concerned project enhancements and extensions. Through effective stakeholder engagement and contribution to national response strategy, the Kuteteza project helped raise COVID-19 awareness and supported populations at a critical time in the pandemic. Kuteteza approaches were welcomed locally and may be incorporated in future epidemic responses. Supported 'shielding' should be paired with government-led measures to mitigate economic hardship.

Institutional Trust and Economic Coping Strategies in Response to Sanctions: The Case of Russia and Iran

Sanctions have become an established feature of the economic landscape in Russia and Iran and may lead to economic insecurity and distrust of political bodies among citizens. However, few studies have investigated the way individuals adapt to these sanctions and whether their coping strategies are linked to their trust in institutions. To address this gap, we conducted a comparative study between Russians and Iranians, examining their economic coping strategies (ECS), including traditional ways of storing value, modern investments, cost-cutting measures, extra work, and resorting to social and material resources in response to sanctions and their relationship with institutional trust. Utilizing a cross-sectional research design, we administered surveys and obtained sample sizes of 364 and 311 in Russia and Iran, respectively. Our findings revealed that Russians exhibit higher institutional trust and lower levels of employing ECS compared to Iranians. Furthermore, we observed that lower institutional trust is associated with a greater overall use of ECS among Russians but not Iranians. When analyzing each coping strategy individually, we found that Russians with lower institutional trust tend to rely more on extra work, cost-cutting measures, and social and material resources, while in Iran, we observed this relationship for cost-cutting measures and modern investments. We concluded that in Russia, the financial insecurity induced by sanctions may have impacted institutional trust of those low-income individuals that were pressed to use certain strategies, while in Iran, the link between cutting expenses, modern investments, and institutional trust may be better explained by reduced life satisfaction and cultural factors. Given the role of institutional trust in well-being, it is crucial to protect at-risk segments of society from the adverse effects of financial challenges on their institutional trust.

The economic divide that isn’t: A comparative study on economic hardship and affective polarisation

This article examines the role of economic hardship in contributing to our understanding of the causes of affective polarisation – that is, the animosity between partisan groups. Evidence suggests that a variety of political attitudes and behaviours are influenced by economic hardship, but the relationship between individual economic hardship and affective polarisation has not yet been demonstrated. Thus, the purpose of this study is to investigate whether individuals facing economic insecurities are more affectively polarised. This study leverages two novel surveys, the first conducted in 11 European countries ( N = 12,000), the second in Belgium and the Netherlands ( N = 2174). Both contain individual-level measurements of economic hardship novel to the field of affective polarisation. Whereas the first allows for making generalisable claims across European multiparty systems, the second contains a more thorough operationalisation of the central concepts. The paper finds little to no evidence to support the existence of a link between economic hardship and affective polarisation. Across countries, objective and subjective measures of economic hardship are not linked to affective polarisation, neither when based on employment or financial status. Future research should now examine whether these cross-sectional findings are supported by longitudinal or experimental evidence.

Исследование рисков экономической безопасности территорий в период неопределенности, вызванной пандемией

The article describes economic insecurity that occurs in a time of uncertainty and affects human development and social well-being. The authors defined indicators to analyze, identified and justified the vector of state policy, and studied the socio-economic issues of territorial development as a source of risks. The dataunder analysis were obtained from public sources, systematized, and subjected to economic analysis using the methods of absolute, relative, and mean values, as well as graphical and logical methods. The period under study covered 2018–2022, which made it possible to assess the impact of the uncertainty caused by the COVID 19 pandemic on the Russian federal districts by analyzing indicators of economic security. The research revealed economic and social risks, as well as the state policy in leveling them across the country. The pandemic triggered economic uncertainty, which destabilized the social well-being and development opportunities of the population in the regions. The current state policy provides long-term transformations and allows the population to adapt to changes.

Relationship between Attitudes toward Criminal Justice and Economic Anxiety

Relationship between Attitudes toward Criminal Justice and Economic Anxiety

Economic insecurity in the 2022 Italian general election: mobilization or withdrawal?

A right-wing coalition led by Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy (FdI) emerged as the clear winner of the 2022 Italian general election, with voter turnout reaching its lowest level in the history of the Italian Republic. This result unfolded amidst a long-standing sense of economic stagnation, escalating inequality, and rising inflation. The article explores the relationship between individual economic insecurity and the 2022 election results. There is an assumption in both public and scholarly discourse that economic insecurity is responsible for the rise of populist and, particularly, populist radical-right (PRR) parties. Does the 2022 Italian general election represent a case of mobilization or withdrawal of the economically insecure electorate? Building on the literature on populist success and the economy’s effects on political behavior, we find that economic insecurity was not behind the success of the PRR parties (the League and FdI) in the 2022 election. It was also not associated with the vote for the main populist non-radical-right party in the Italian political landscape: the 5-Star Movement. On the contrary, in this election, economic insecurity mostly deterred voters from casting their ballots, and the success of the PRR can mostly be explained by anti-immigration attitudes.

Microentrepreneurs in the gig economy: who they are, what they do, and why they do it

PurposeGig microentrepreneurs are individuals who have embraced short-term gigs as an entrepreneurial agency for both financial and social livelihood. Based on surveys in 2020 and 2023, the research reported here presents a comprehensive, empirical portrait of two cohorts of gig microentrepreneurs. This portrait captures the similarities and differences of gig microentrepreneurs in terms of offline and online business models and the nature of gig work. Recognizing that there is not a “typical” gig microentrepreneur will help ensure that this gig business model continues to evolve without boundaries in terms of demographics, motivations and behavior and will enable marketing and entrepreneurship scholars to better assist in entrepreneurial growth and development. The purpose of this paper is to gain a better understanding of the gig microentrepreneur regardless of the nature of the gig work.Design/methodology/approachThe research involved two separate surveys in the USA. The first survey took place in July 2020, and the second survey took place in April 2023 after major changes had taken place in the economy and in society (e.g. the COVID pandemic). Both surveys used samples generated by Dynata, an online consumer panel company with access to more than 70 million consumers worldwide who have agreed to participate as panel members.FindingsThe surveys provided answers to questions about the demographic and behavioral aspects of gig microentrepreneurs, including who they are, the number and type of gig activities in which they participate, the financial livelihood generated from gig income, the social livelihood inherent in gig work and dissatisfaction with being a microentrepreneur in the gig economy. These findings produced insights into why individuals engage in gig activities and the positive and negative impacts of that engagement. Based on the findings, nuances and trends within the gig economy and among gig microentrepreneurs are identified and discussed.Research limitations/implicationsThe research limitations include lack of generalizability outside of the USA, use of panel data and survivor bias.Practical implicationsConsumers, gig microentrepreneurs, companies and government agencies can benefit from the growth in the gig economy. The vast array of gig activities in which gig microentrepreneurs engage clearly shows the need for an on-demand workforce. There are both economic and societal benefits to having a labor-force that can meet a breadth of demands with varying timeframes.Social implicationsWhether gig microentrepreneurs are engaging in gig work to augment their income because of economic insecurity or for intrinsic reasons, the motivations and behaviors of the gig microentrepreneurs are indicative of the talent and resources needed to keep the US economy moving forward positively.Originality/valueAs noted by several scholars conducting research on the gig economy, little is known about gig microentrepreneurs – who they are, what they do and why they do it. Current research on the gig economy tends to focus on online platform companies. This research offers an exploratory look at microentrepreneurs who engage in gig activities both online and offline without geographic or technological boundaries.

Social, economic and food insecurity among people living with HIV in Kenya during coinciding public health and environmental emergencies: a mixed-methods study

IntroductionDuring the COVID-19 response, Kenya experienced widespread regional floods, resulting in the displacement of communities and agricultural loss. This study aimed to characterise food insecurity and other social and economic...

Psychological and socio-economic correlates of cardiovascular health among young adults in Puerto Rico

ObjectiveWe aimed to determine the relationship between socioeconomic and psychological factors and overall cardiovascular health (CVH), as defined by the American Heart Association's Life's Essential 8 (LE8), among young adults in Puerto Rico. MethodsParticipants were 2156 young adults, between the ages of 18–29 years, enrolled in the PR-OUTLOOK study. The analysis included survey, laboratory, and physical measurement data collected from September 2020 to November 2023. Assessed socioeconomic indicators included food insecurity, housing instability, economic insecurity, and subjective social standing. Evaluated psychological factors comprised symptoms of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, and overall perceived stress. LE8 scores were calculated and classified as suboptimal (poor/intermediate range) vs. ideal CVH. Logistic regression models estimated associations between each socioeconomic and psychological measure and suboptimal CVH, and dominance analysis assessed the importance of each measure. ResultsParticipants' mean age was 22.6 (SD = 3.1), 60.9 % were female, about one-third (34.2 %) had high school education or less, and over one-third had public or no health insurance (38.4 %). Participants reporting socioeconomic adversity (i.e., high food insecurity, housing instability and economic insecurity, and low subjective social standing) and elevated psychological symptoms (i.e., symptoms of anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, and overall perceived stress) had lower CVH scores. However, in the adjusted analysis, only lower subjective social standing (OR = 1.38, 95 % CI = 1.13–1.69) and elevated symptoms of anxiety (OR = 1.63, 95 % CI = 1.25–2.13) and depression (OR = 1.30, 95 % CI = 1.03–1.65) emerged as the primary contributors to suboptimal CVH (vs. ideal). ConclusionEfforts to preserve and enhance CVH among young Puerto Ricans on the island should target these factors.