Psychological Prerequisites for Precarious Employment

Abstract

Introduction. The study was carried out at the intersection of two research fields – precarious employment psychology and employability. The aim of this study is to identify the psychological characteristics of individuals engaged in precarious employment. Methods. The study population comprised 748 subjects (mean age = 31.03 years, min – 20 years, max – 45 years), of whom 48.13 % were men and 63.5 % had higher education. The study used the following diagnostic tools: (a) the Employment Precarity Index, (b) the Forced Employment scale, (c) the Perception of Barriers to Career Development scale, (d) the Attitudes Toward the Speed of Social Processes inventory, (e) the Involvement in Information and Communication Technologies in Work Activities questionnaire, (f) the Personal Flexibility at the Labor Sphere scale, and (g) the Vocational Identity scale. Results. All psychological prerequisites examined in the study (attitude toward the speed of social processes, involvement in information and communication technologies, personal flexibility, vocational identity) were closely related to the level of employment precarity and psychological well-being related to labor and profession. The use of the method of correlation pleiades made it possible to isolate the most significant psychological characteristics that correlate with precarity and psychological well-being – vocational identity and personal flexibility. The lower their scores, the more individuals feel the forced nature of their employment and barriers to career development, the higher the likelihood of their precarious status in the labor market. A comparison of employees engaged and not engaged in precarious employment showed that representatives of the first group have lower awareness of social acceleration and higher rejection of it; they are significantly less involved in information and communication technologies and have significantly lower scores in labor sphere flexibility and vocational identity. Groups of employees differ in terms of their financial status, education, and experience of unemployment. Discussion. The results obtained are of theoretical and practical importance. The scope of psychological characteristics of individuals is expanded, helping them overcome uncertainties in the labor market and thus improve the quality of employment.