Perceived employability trajectories: A Swedish cohort study

J Occup Health. 2017 Jul 27;59(4):336-344. doi: 10.1539/joh.16-0295-OA. Epub 2017 May 25.

Abstract

Objectives: This study identified perceived employability trajectories and their associations with sleeping difficulties and depressive symptoms over time.

Methods: The sample was part of the Swedish Longitudinal Survey on Health from 2008 to 2014 (n=4,583).

Results: Two stable trajectories (high and low perceived employability over time) and three trajectories with changes (increasing, decreasing, and V-shaped perceived employability over time) were identified. Workers with stable low perceived employability reported more sleeping difficulties and depressive symptoms than those who perceived high or increasing employability.

Conclusion: Perceived employability is a rather stable personal resource, which is associated with well-being over time. However, changes in perceived employability do not seem to be echoed in well-being, at least not as immediately as theoretically expected.

Keywords: Depressive Symptoms; Factor Mixture Modeling; Perceived Employability; Sleeping Difficulties; Swedish Cohort Study.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Cohort Studies
  • Depression / epidemiology*
  • Depression / psychology*
  • Employment / psychology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Perception
  • Self Concept*
  • Sleep Wake Disorders / epidemiology*
  • Sleep Wake Disorders / psychology*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Sweden / epidemiology
  • Young Adult