Job Search Outcomes for University Graduates: The Role of Economic Hardship and Work Involvement
Keywords:
job search, university, graduates, economic, workAbstract
This study assessed the relationship between economic hardship and work involvement with job search outcomes and employment quality as mediated by search effort. Participants completed a survey prior to graduation and six months after graduation. Structural equation modeling was used with a sample of 123 students who recently graduated and attained employment. The model provided an excellent fit to the data with significant relationships between economic hardship with job search effort and employment quality as well as work involvement with employment quality. Students experiencing economic hardship report investing more effort in their job search but without the increase in results and accept positions that are lower in employment quality. In contrast, students with higher levels of work involvement accept positions that are higher in employment quality. The implications for research and practice are discussed.
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