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Perceived job insecurity and perceived employability in relation to temporary and permanent workers’ psychological symptoms: a two samples study

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Abstract

Purpose

To clarify the role of perceived job insecurity and perceived employability in relation to psychological symptoms among permanent and temporary employees in two samples. Sample 1 was representative of the Finnish working population in 2008 (n = 4,330; Study 1). Sample 2 was collected among Finnish university personnel and in two waves (n = 1,212; Study 2).

Methods

Perceived job insecurity, perceived employability, and psychological symptoms were measured by questionnaires in both studies. Hypotheses were tested with regression analyses.

Results

The pattern of results was similar in the two samples. Perceived job insecurity was positively associated with psychological symptoms among permanent workers but not among temporary workers. No such differential relationships were observed for perceived employability, instead perceived employability was negatively associated with psychological symptoms among all respondents. Furthermore, perceived employability did not buffer the positive relation between perceived job insecurity and psychological symptoms.

Conclusions

Knowledge about the relationship between contract type and workers’ well-being can be enhanced when the combined effects of contract type and job conditions are accounted for.

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Acknowledgments

The research consortium “Are Temporary Workers a Disadvantaged Group?” (No. 124278) was financially supported by the Academy of Finland.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Tampere, 33014, Tampere, Finland

    Kaisa Kirves & Ulla Kinnunen

  2. Research Group Work, Organizational and Personnel Psychology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

    Nele De Cuyper

  3. Department of Social Research, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland

    Jouko Nätti

Authors
  1. Kaisa Kirves
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  2. Nele De Cuyper
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  3. Ulla Kinnunen
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  4. Jouko Nätti
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Correspondence to Kaisa Kirves.

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Kirves, K., De Cuyper, N., Kinnunen, U. et al. Perceived job insecurity and perceived employability in relation to temporary and permanent workers’ psychological symptoms: a two samples study. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 84, 899–909 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-011-0630-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-011-0630-y

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