Understanding Unemployment Normalization: Individual Differences in an Alternative Experience With Unemployment

Abstract

Unemployment is a major concern of societies and people around the world. In addressing this phenomenon, the literature has suggested a change in unemployed people’s perceptions of this transition period. In this paper, we apply a differential approach to explore the concept of unemployment normalization, an individual emotional regulation process. The results show how the global socioeconomic context and some individual and psychological variables influence the normalization of unemployment. Thus, the age of the person but also work involvement, coping strategies, locus of control, and level of self-esteem have indirect differential effects, mediated by unemployment normalization dimensions, on unemployed people’s perceived health. Only neuroticism has a direct link to subjective well-being. These results offer a new understanding of the perception of unemployment and are also discussed in the area of career and vocational counseling.

Employment status, psychological needs, and mental health: Meta-analytic findings concerning the latent deprivation model

“…From a methodological perspective, both intraindividual variability and variability between the employment status groups might be taken into account in future research. For example, processes of unemployment coping and normalization (Houssemand et al, 2020), as well as recent analyses on the heterogeneity of, for ex., employed people with respect to the degree of fulfillment of the latent functions they experience in their work (Bähr et al, 2022) represent these two approaches. Finally, since Jahoda conceptualized her latent functions in analogy to basic human needs, i.e., as psychological inputs that are necessary to stabilize well-being, a look at contemporary need theories might be helpful.…”

“…Further studies from these parts of the world are needed. With respect to time structure, some adaptation processes (Bähr et al, 2022) or, more generally, reappraisal and "normalization" processes (Houssemand et al, 2020) might play a role. Unfortunately, we were not able to take this further into account by, for example, controlling for how long the respective people held their employment status.…”

Mental health and well-being at the workplace

“…Plan activities in a day to maintain the time structure Include physical activity in your time structure Use coping skills that can be beneficial Different ways of coping have been described in the literature that can be helpful for a person to cope with unemployment, which can be broadly categorized into problem-focused coping and emotion-focused coping. [ 50 , 51 ] Problem-focused coping skills: Actively searching for new job opportunities If there are health-related issues that are hindering the job, Seeking help for health-related issues Choosing or adapting a job that can be suitable along with the health-related issue Participation in training or retraining programs Improving or learning new skills that are needed for the job Relocation to another region or improvement of the current financial situation Relocating to a place where the job opportunity is available …”

“…Different ways of coping have been described in the literature that can be helpful for a person to cope with unemployment, which can be broadly categorized into problem-focused coping and emotion-focused coping. [ 50 , 51 ]…”

Integrative review on career interventions with unemployed people: Nature, outcomes, and recommendations

“…The societal and individual implications of unemployment are contingent upon changes in the social, economic, and political landscape (Houssemand et al., 2020). For instance, economic recessions or humanitarian and public health emergencies elicit risks of job loss, financial instability, reduced employment opportunities, or increased unemployment (WHO, 2022).…”