“Give Us a Chance”: Understanding Job Seeking Among Women Experiencing Homelessness

Abstract

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore perceptions of job seeking from women experiencing homelessness. Participants (N = 9) were interviewed at a transitional housing facility in North Florida. Thematic analysis found several manifest and latent themes related to stigma, barriers, and perseverance. The findings of this study support the existing literature on the management of social stigma by people experiencing homelessness. It also provides new findings that allow for a more nuanced understanding of the factors identified by experts in the job-seeking experiences of women who are homeless.

A framework for how homelessness impacts children's attachments to their caregiver

“…Rayburn and Guittar (2013) also demonstrated the association of homelessness stigma and parental stress. Furthermore, Groton et al (2017) found that potential employers' stigma against homeless individuals may have prevented said individuals from getting a job.…”

“…Another stressor that caregivers face is homelessness stigma (Bradley et al, 2018; Groton et al, 2017; Rayburn & Guittar, 2013). Discrimination is an emotional experience as in personal attachment insecurity, but it mostly comes from strangers.…”