Does Financial Hardship Explain Differences Between Belgian and South African Unemployed Regarding Experiences of Unemployment, Employment Commitment, and Job Search Behaviour? | Zendy

Wouter Vleugels | Zendy; Sebastiaan Rothmann | Zendy; Yannick Griep | Zendy; Hans De Witte | Zendy

Open Access

Does Financial Hardship Explain Differences Between Belgian and South African Unemployed Regarding Experiences of Unemployment, Employment Commitment, and Job Search Behaviour?

Author(s) -

Wouter Vleugels,

Sebastiaan Rothmann,

Yannick Griep,

Hans De Witte

Publication year - 2013

Publication title -

psychologica belgica

Language(s) - English

Resource type - Journals

SCImago Journal Rank - 0.511

H-Index - 33

eISSN - 2054-670X

pISSN - 0033-2879

DOI - 10.5334/pb-53-2-75

Subject(s) - belgica , psychology , unemployment , economic growth , economics , oceanography , geology , cruise

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether Belgian and South African unemployed differed regarding three psychological dimensions of unemployment: affect (experiences of unemployment), attitudes (employment commitment), and behaviour (job search intensity). Moreover, we expected country of residence to indirectly influence unemployed people's experiences, employment commitment, and job search intensity via financial hardship. A cross-sectional survey design was used to test our hypotheses. Data were sampled from unemployed people in the Brussels area in Belgium ('N' = 305), and the Potchefstroom area in South Africa ('N' = 381). The results indicated that, compared to the Belgian unemployed, the South African unemployed experienced their unemployment as more negative, were more committed towards employment and more intensively searched for work. Moreover, country of residence indirectly influenced unemployed people's experiences, employment commitment, and job search intensity via financial hardship. Some policy recommendations are suggested.

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