Pandemic Pressure: Race, Job Insecurity, and Stress during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Authors

David B. Taullahu, DePaul UniversityFollow
Jason S. Snyder, DePaul UniversityFollow
Alyssa R. Minton, DePaul UniversityFollow
Brooke Nyberg, DePaul UniversityFollow
Joseph A. MikelsFollow

Faculty Advisor

Joseph A. Mikels

Abstract

With the ongoing pressure of the COVID-19 pandemic, the working world has been drastically altered. Additionally, pandemic related pressures are not evenly distributed across racial groups–with negative outcomes being exacerbated as a byproduct of structural inequities for people of color (Seldan & Berdahl, 2020). Using the Perceived Stress Scale (Cohen et al., 1983), and Job Insecurity Scale (Ashford et al., 1989), we aimed to determine how various work-related factors such as job insecurity, essential worker status, and race relate to overall perceived stress in daily life. Participants (n = 266; M_age = 50.56 years, SD = 7.83; age range: 18-76 years; 49% white, 51% Black) completed a variety of measures through an online survey collected between mid-April and late May 2021. The results indicated that for white workers who identified as non-essential, and Black workers who identified as essential, increased job insecurity predicted an increase in perceived stress. The results of the study provide a launching point for identifying which demographic groups may need more support in the working world. Black essential workers and white non-essential workers likely would greatly benefit from support, resources, and interventions aiming to reduce workplace stress and improve wellbeing.

Recommended Citation

Taullahu, David B.; Snyder, Jason S.; Minton, Alyssa R.; Nyberg, Brooke; and Mikels, Joseph A. (2022) "Pandemic Pressure: Race, Job Insecurity, and Stress during the COVID-19 Pandemic," DePaul Discoveries: Volume 11, Article 11.
Available at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/depaul-disc/vol11/iss1/11