Job-Search Stress
Who has it, and how they control it.  
-Survey of job hunters reveals surprising reslults

W ith last fall’s terrorist attacks, a recession and massive corporate scandals, a common denominator among people facing the challenge of finding a new job is a heightened level of stress. The Five O’Clock Club recently conducted a study of employed and unemployed job seekers to explore the causes of job-search stress: Who feels the most stress and what are the most common causes of stress?
 Here are some of The Five O’Clock Club’s findings:

1. Unemployed and employed job hunters have almost the same level of stress.  

 Richard Bayer, a widely published economist, ethicist, and careers expert commented, “It’s easy to assume that unemployed job hunters are under the most stress, but employed job hunters can face even more challenges.” Employed people are often job-hunting because they fear for their own jobs. They may be waiting for the axe to fall, and are living with greater uncertainty. Employed job hunters are also trying to do two things at once: trying to perform well at work while conducting a serious campaign.

2. Far more men than women are concerned with loss of self-esteem.

14% of men considered loss of self-esteem their greatest source of stress. Only 3% of women put it first. Bayer commented, “We live in a society where a man’s sense of self-worth is linked directly with his job satisfaction. Since men often measure themselves by their professional achievements, being unemployed is a serious blow to those who have enjoyed a highly visible career.”

3. Surprisingly, job hunters who describe themselves as middle management have the highest levels of stress.

Bayer says, “Since a lot of companies are still cutting back mid-level managers, there aren’t many openings to move into. It’s definitely a tight market for people at that level. Also middle-management professionals often live with greater financial burdens than senior executives.” The children of a senior executives are often grown, while middle managers may have children of school age, perhaps even in private schools. The possibility of layoff is therefore a source of high stress.

4. Stress level dramatically increases at the six-month mark.    

People who have been job searching between 0 and 6 months admit a stress level around 2.0 on a scale of 4, yet at the 6-month mark the stress jumps to 2.5. Bayer commented, “It’s easy to see that financial pressure really increases around the six-month mark.” Unemployment insurance usually ends around six months after a layoff, and most people don’t have a nest egg large enough to support themselves more than a few months.

5. Women are most stressed at the beginning of the search, while men are the most stressed at the end, ie., while waiting for an offer.    

30% of men said that waiting for feedback was the most stressful part of the process; for women it was only 21%.

6. The good news: 96% managed to reduce or control their stress using various techniques.    

Both men and women cited job-search support groups as a method of reducing stress. “The Five O’Clock Club not only helps people find jobs, it also helps to reduce the stress level of attendees,” concluded Bayer. The second most common method used to reduce stress was exercise, Bayer noted, “We hear that all the time! People are always saying ‘I didn’t get in shape until I lost my job.’”  Other methods included a "buddy system," prayer, and taking charge of their situation .

Research conducted by Anita Peng for The Five O’Clock Club with
contributions by Jared Kreiner.