Policy Research

Job seeking, re-employment, and mental health: a randomized field experiment in coping with job loss

Caplan RD, Vinokur AD, Price RH, van Ryn M

Summary

Job loss accompanied by preventative intervention, shortly thereafter, has resulted in higher quality reemployment based on a randomized field experiment conducted in southeastern Michigan using 928 recently unemployed adults. To mitigate the prevalence of mental health issues resulting from job loss which can account for declines in perceived self-efficacy, job seeking performance, reemployment and poor-quality reemployment, this study shows that interventions aligned with mechanisms geared toward motivation and coping prove beneficial.

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Policy Implications

This article proposes that one way to improve reemployment rates and quality of reemployment among those who’ve recently lost their job is the use of preventative interventions focused on coping and motivation mechanisms.