Unemployed Job Seekers Research Articles

A Workforce Development Systems Model for Unemployed Job Seekers

Workforce development is a set of processes that govern the identification, recruitment, assessment and training of job seekers into employment as well as the maintenance and advancement of these persons in their careers. Given the complexity of what workforce development entails, a systems approach is illustrated to ensure that the broader goal of human capital investment is met. The paper identifies the foundational assumptions of systems thinking, classifies the key stakeholders in workforce development and provides brief case studies on where systems thinking has been deployed. The paper also enunciates an outcomes framework to give the metrics by which progress towards performance goals can be measured.

Perceived employability and psychological functioning framed by gain and loss cycles

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to test the gain and loss cycle ideas from the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory with regard to perceived employability and psychological functioning among employed workers and unemployed job seekers, respectively.Design/methodology/approach– More specifically, the authors argue that perceived employability may trigger a gain cycle toward well-being among employed workers (H1), while ill-being may trigger a loss cycle toward reduced (perceived) employability among unemployed job seekers (H2). The authors test these ideas with cross-lagged analysis.Findings– Results confirm the hypotheses: perceived employability at Time 1 positively affects well-being at Time 2 among employed workers and ill-being at Time 1 negatively impacts perceived employability at Time 2 among unemployed job seekers.Research limitations/implications– Future research should study the gain and loss cycles with more than two waves of data as this allows for a more adequate test of these ideas.Practical implications– As for practitioners, the results suggest that investing in the worker’s perceived employability by offering training, career counseling, and networking opportunities, pays off as it promotes the employee’s psychological functioning. With regard to unemployed job seekers the authors advise investing in psychological counseling: the unemployed job seeker will be more able to invest in a job search, and hence perceive employability if helped in coping with job loss.Originality/value– This study offers a new perspective on the relationship between perceived employability and psychological functioning by involving the principles of COR theory, in particular the gain and loss cycles.

The Return to Labor Market Mobility: An Evaluation of Relocation Assistance for the Unemployed

In many European countries, labor markets are characterized by high regional disparities in terms of unemployment rates on the one hand and low geographical mobility among the unemployed on the other hand. This is somewhat surprising and raises the question of why only minor shares of unemployed job seekers relocate in order to find employment. The German active labor market policy offers a subsidy covering moving costs to incentivize unemployed job seekers to search/accept jobs in distant regions. Based on administrative data, this study provides the first empirical evidence on the impact of this subsidy on participants' prospective labor market outcomes. We use an instrumental variable approach to take endogenous selection based on observed and unobserved characteristics into account when estimating causal treatment effects.We find that unemployed job seekers who participate in the subsidy program and move to a distant region receive higher wages and find more stable jobs compared to non-participants. We show that the positive effects are (to a large extent) the consequence of a better job match due to the increased search radius of participants.

Occupational Mobility Dimensions in Greece

Mobility of labour both geographical and job or occupational mobility according to reports of several European Foundations and Institutes (e.g. Eurofound, IZA, CEPS, Danish Technological Institute etc), is an EU key objective of the European labour market. While mobility operates as one of EU's real adjustment mechanisms for macroeconomic shocks, its low levels still remain a serious problem for the European Integration (Janiak, A. &Wasmer, E., 2008). As there is a lack of relevant researches on this field in Greece, this paper attempts to study the employment mobility of Greek unemployed job seekers. Job mobility, geographical mobility and occupational mobility, combined with job mobility or regardless job mobility, are being correlated with career attitudes, using the Boundaryless Career Attitudes Scale, constructed by Briscoe & Hall (2005), as well as several concepts of networking, based on three questionnaires studying job seeking, constructed by Wanberg et al. (2000) and Lambert et al. (2006). Implicative Statistical Analysis was released for the data analysis. In this study 62 unemployed people expressed their insights regarding occupational mobility. A strong argument of the impact of occupational mobility on human lives in Greece was made and further implications were discussed

Wage Dispersion and Search Behavior

We use a rich new body of data on the experiences of unemployed job-seekers to determine the sources of wage dispersion and to create a search model consistent with the acceptance decisions the job-seekers made. From the data and the model, we identify the distributions of four key variables: offered wages, offered non-wage job values, the value of the job-seeker's non-work alternative, and the job-seeker's personal productivity. We find that, conditional on personal productivity, the dispersion of offered wages is moderate, accounting for 21 percent of the total variation in observed offered wages, whereas the dispersion of the non-wage component of offered job values is substantially larger. We relate our findings to an influential recent paper by Hornstein, Krusell, and Violante who called attention to the tension between the fairly high dispersion of the values job-seekers assign to their job offers – which suggest a high value to sampling from multiple offers – and the fact that the job-seekers often accept the first offer they receive.

Analysis and Modeling of Situation of Long – Term Unemployed Jobseekers in Slovak Labor Market

Abstract The situation with unemployment is a long-term problem for many years in Slovakia. The jobseeker registered in the Labor office for more than 12 consecutive months is considered to be long-term unemployed. The inability to locate these people in the labor market is a major economic problem in Slovakia. These people have a negative impact on the economy of the state because they did not bring in any capital to the economy. On the contrary, the state has to subsidize them by social benefits. In the paper the influence of the factors to the long-term unemployability in Slovakia using real data about unemployment from Slovak Central Office of Labor, Social Affairs and Family will be identified and analyzed. This identification and analysis will be focused on the personal characteristics of the jobseekers and local economic indicators of their living environment too. The duration of unemployment of long – term jobseekers depending on these factors will be statistically modeled. To optimize the conditions and amount of the regular and one-off grant of active labor market policy the knowledge of the structure of long-term unemployed jobseekers and identification of their characteristics is necessary.

Job search self-efficacy: Reconceptualizing the construct and its measurement

Job search self-efficacy (JSSE) is one of the most studied variables in the job search literature and an important component of the theory of planned behavior and self-regulation theory which have both been used to explain the job search process. However, even though JSSE has been a part of job search research for thirty years, the measurement of JSSE has varied from study to study. This questions both the validity of the measures used and the findings from each study that used a different measure. In this paper, we propose and test a two dimensional measure of JSSE that corresponds to job search behavior (JSSE-B) and job search outcomes (JSSE-O). The results of a longitudinal study of employed and unemployed job seekers support a two-factor model corresponding to the two dimensions of JSSE. We also found differential relationships between each dimension of JSSE and several antecedents and consequences. Among the antecedents, environmental exploration and self-exploration were stronger predictors of JSSE-B while career planning was a stronger predictor of JSSE-O. In terms of consequences, JSSE-B was a stronger predictor of job search intention and behavior while JSSE-O was a stronger predictor of the number of job offers received. These findings provide support for two dimensions of JSSE and have important implications for job search research and practice.

Employment Barriers, Skills, and Aspirations Among Unemployed Job Seekers With and Without Social Anxiety Disorder

The literature has consistently demonstrated that social anxiety disorder has substantial negative impacts on occupational functioning. However, to date, no empirical work has focused on understanding the specific nature of vocational problems among persons with social anxiety disorder. This study examined the association between perceived barriers to employment, employment skills, and job aspirations and social anxiety among adults seeking vocational rehabilitation services. Data from intake assessments (June 2010-December 2011) of 265 low-income, unemployed adults who initiated vocational rehabilitation services in urban Michigan were examined to assess perceived barriers to employment, employment skills, job aspirations, and demographic characteristics among participants who did or did not screen positive for social anxiety disorder. Bivariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed. After adjustment for other factors, the multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that perceiving more employment barriers involving experience and skills, reporting fewer skills related to occupations requiring social skills, and having less education were significantly associated with social anxiety disorder. Participants who screened positive for social anxiety disorder were significantly less likely to aspire to social jobs. Employment-related characteristics that were likely to have an impact on occupational functioning were significantly different between persons with and without social anxiety problems. Identifying these differences in employment barriers, skills, and job aspirations revealed important information for designing psychosocial interventions for treatment of social anxiety disorder. The findings underscored the need for vocational services professionals to assess and address social anxiety among their clients.

On-the-job search and cyclical unemployment: Crowding out vs. vacancy effects

Incorporating on-the-job search (OTJS) into a real business cycle model has been shown to increase the cyclical volatility of unemployment. Using a particularly simple model of OTJS, we show that the increased search of employed workers during expansions induces firms to open more vacancies, but also crowds out unemployed workers in the job search, resulting in an ambiguous overall effect on unemployment volatility. We show analytically and numerically that the difference between the employer׳s share of the match surplus with an employed versus an unemployed job seeker determines the degree to which OTJS increases unemployment volatility. We use this result to re-consider some related papers of OTJS and explain the amplification of volatility they obtain. Finally, we show that a plausible calibration of the OTJS model allows us to reproduce most significant features of the US labor data.

Employers' attitudes towards long‐term unemployed people and the role of activation in Switzerland

Over the last few years, most OECD countries have extended their activation policy to new groups of non‐working people, including the long‐term unemployed (LTU). However, it is widely known that employers tend to regard LTU people as potentially problematic persons. This is likely to constitute a major obstacle for long‐term unemployed jobseekers. On the basis of a survey among employers in a Swiss canton (N = 722), this article aims to shed light on the perception employers have of the long‐term unemployed and whether this may matter for their recruitment practices. It also asks what, from the employer point of view, may facilitate access to employment for an LTU person. A key finding is that large companies have a worse image of the long‐term unemployed and are less likely to hire them. Furthermore, independent of company size, a test period or the recommendation of a trustworthy person is seen as the factors most likely to facilitate access to jobs for LTU people.

Needs‐Based Assessment: A Model for Profiling, Assisting, and Empowering Job Seekers

Needs‐based assessment (NBA) was developed in New Zealand to assess job seekers’ capacity, willingness, and opportunity to find work. This article outlines the development of NBA from its theoretical underpinnings, evidence from a longitudinal study and the development of an employment adviser–administered computerized profiling tool, and the provision of self‐assessment and support tools. The authors argue that, with a rise in the number of unemployed job seekers and the long‐term unemployed, demands for government resources with less resources available to satisfy those demands, and the widespread adoption of social and interactive media, it is timely to revisit an NBA approach to job seeker profiling and targeted intervention.

Effectiveness of job search interventions: A meta-analytic review.

The current meta-analytic review examined the effectiveness of job search interventions in facilitating job search success (i.e., obtaining employment). Major theoretical perspectives on job search interventions, including behavioral learning theory, theory of planned behavior, social cognitive theory, and coping theory, were reviewed and integrated to derive a taxonomy of critical job search intervention components. Summarizing the data from 47 experimentally or quasi-experimentally evaluated job search interventions, we found that the odds of obtaining employment were 2.67 times higher for job seekers participating in job search interventions compared to job seekers in the control group, who did not participate in such intervention programs. Our moderator analysis also suggested that job search interventions that contained certain components, including teaching job search skills, improving self-presentation, boosting self-efficacy, encouraging proactivity, promoting goal setting, and enlisting social support, were more effective than interventions that did not include such components. More important, job search interventions effectively promoted employment only when both skill development and motivation enhancement were included. In addition, we found that job search interventions were more effective in helping younger and older (vs. middle-aged) job seekers, short-term (vs. long-term) unemployed job seekers, and job seekers with special needs and conditions (vs. job seekers in general) to find employment. Furthermore, meta-analytic path analysis revealed that increased job search skills, job search self-efficacy, and job search behaviors partially mediated the positive effect of job search interventions on obtaining employment. Theoretical and practical implications and future research directions are discussed.

Motivating and hindering factors during the reemployment process: The added value of employment counselors’ assessment.

Because unemployment negatively affects people's well-being, it is of crucial importance that unemployed individuals move back to work. The process of getting reemployed, however, is difficult and complex. Therefore, many unemployed job seekers are assisted by employment counselors. The present study focuses on motivating and hindering factors in the reemployment process, examining the added value of the counselors' assessment of job seekers' attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors. The results of a 3-wave study with job seeker self-ratings and counselor-ratings indicated that perceived health problems is the most consistent predictor of job search and reemployment status. The findings further provide some convergent validity evidence for self- and counselor-rated situational-level motivators (i.e., attitude, social pressure, self-efficacy) and job search intensity. Although method effects did not seem to threaten the validity of the prediction of job search intensity and procrastination, employment counselors' assessments of job seekers' job search intensity and procrastination were significantly more strongly related to reemployment success than job seekers' self-ratings. Future research should therefore include other-reports, in addition to job seeker self-reports, to get a more complete view of people's job search behavior. Also reemployment counseling firms may want to use the expert knowledge of their employment counselors more systematically.

Muscular fitness and re-employment among unemployed job seekers in Finland: A three-year follow-up study

Research suggests that health is an important determinant of re-employment. However, the association between specific physical health components, such as muscular fitness, and re-employment has not been well studied. In a three-year follow-up of unemployed people, we investigated whether muscular fitness is associated with re-employment. In 2002-2005, unemployed people (n=130) who were participants in active labour market policy measures were recruited to participate in a Career Health Care (CHC) project. Data on background characteristics and muscular fitness were collected in 2002/2003 using a questionnaire and laboratory measurements. Clientship in the CHC lasted for three years, and at its end, participants' employment status was assessed by a questionnaire. Logistic regression was used to investigate the association between baseline muscular fitness (repetitive lift, sit-ups, and squats) and re-employment after three years. The probability of re-employment within three years significantly increased with improved performances on muscular fitness tests (lifting, sit-up, and squatting) after adjustment for age and gender. Unemployed people with good muscular fitness had increased probability for re-employment as compared to those with poor muscular fitness.

Health promotion for unemployed jobseekers: New developments in Germany

ObjectivesThe objective of the paper is to present findings from a health promotion programme for long-term unemployed older job seekers in Germany and to discuss conditions for successful linking health and employment promotion. MethodsImplementation analysis: interviews with actors who implemented the programme and case studies of job centres where the programme took place. ResultsHealth promotion with labour market programmes is possible, but requires (a) agreements and coordination between different branches of social security, (b) an enlargement of the dominant activation paradigm in labour market policy with a stronger emphasis on voluntary programme participation, (c) skills and competencies of the staff in job centres as well as an adapted work organization. ConclusionsEfforts to connect health and employment promotion and to induce the related social security's to cooperation are still in their infancy. Further practical steps as well as research and evaluation are necessary to bring these areas together.

Can we text you? A qualitative exploration of young unemployed job-seekers’ attitudes to receiving resilience-building SMS messages

Can we text you? A qualitative exploration of young unemployed job-seekers’ attitudes to receiving resilience-building SMS messages

Getting Unemployed Job Seekers Back to Work: The Development of a Process Model of Employment Counseling Behavior

The aim of this study was to propose a tentative model of employment counseling based on 31 critical incident interviews with supervisors, employment counselors, and unemployed job seekers. The incidents (N= 599) mentioned in the interviews were inductively used to develop a category framework describing behaviors of employment counselors. On the basis of the interviews, categories, and incidents within these categories, the authors proposed a 4‐phase preliminary model of the employment counseling process. Findings suggest that employment counseling is a complex and dynamic process involving several distinct and consecutive steps focused on clients, governmental funding agencies, colleagues, and employers.

Strengths-Based Career Counseling

This study implemented an innovative model of individual Strengths-Based Career Counseling (SBCC), as carried out by vocational counseling psychologists, and measured its impact on unemployed job seekers. As part of a quasi-randomized pre–post intervention study, career counseling clients completed self-esteem, career exploration, strengths use, and life satisfaction scales prior to the initial counseling session (T1) and immediately following the final session (T2). A follow-up was carried out at 3 months postcounseling (T3). At baseline, the SBCC sample ( N = 31) and the conventional career counseling sample ( N = 30) were statistically similar on the measured variables. As hypothesized, at postcounseling, only the SBCC sample demonstrated enhanced self-esteem. Both the client samples reported enhanced daily use of strengths and unchanged career exploration and life satisfaction. However, precounseling strengths use predicted enhanced postcounseling self-esteem only among the SBCC clients. At the 3-month follow-up, the strengths-based sample assigned a higher rating to the counseling contribution and reported a higher rate of employment (80.6%) than did the comparison group (60%). Implications for career counseling with unemployed clients were discussed.

Can we text you? A qualitative exploration of young unemployed job-seekers’ attitudes to receiving resilience-building SMS messages

A significant minority of young job-seekers remain unemployed for many months, and are at risk of developing depression. Both empirical studies and theoretical models suggest that cognitive, behavioural and social isolation factors interact to increase this risk. Thus, interventions that reduce or prevent depression in young unemployed job-seekers by boosting their resilience are required. Mobile phones may be an effective medium to deliver resilience-boosting support to young unemployed people by using SMS messages to interrupt the feedback loop of depression and social isolation. Three focus groups were conducted to explore young unemployed job-seekers’ attitudes to receiving and requesting regular SMS messages that would help them to feel supported and motivated while job-seeking. Participants reacted favourably to this proposal, and thought that it would be useful to continue to receive and request SMS messages for a few months after commencing employment as well.

Why Do Unemployed Americans Blame Themselves While Israelis Blame the System?

This article provides a new account of American job seekers' individualized understandings of their labor-market difficulties, and more broadly, of how structural conditions shape subjective responses. Unemployed white-collar workers in the U.S. tend to interpret their labor market difficulties as reflecting flaws in themselves, while Israelis tend to perceive flaws in the hiring system. These different responses have profound individual and societal implications. Drawing on in-depth interviews with unemployed job seekers and participant observations at support groups in the U.S. and Israel, this article shows how different labor market institutions give rise to distinct job search games, which I call the chemistry game in the U.S. and the specs game in Israel. Challenging the broad cultural explanations of the unemployment experience in the existing literature, this article shows how subjective responses to unemployment are generated by the search experiences associated with institutionally rooted job search games.