A Comparative Study of Self-Esteem and Hopelessness Among Employed and Unemployed Adults

Abstract

This study aims to examine the unemployment, self-esteem and hopelessness level of young adults who were employed and those who were not employed. The sample of the study was purposely drawn 60 young adults’ male subjects with 30 employed and 30 unemployed individuals from different job sectors, was selected for the study. The data was collected with the help of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) and the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS). While personal information form was created by the researcher was used to obtain socio-demographic variables. The data were analyzed with the help of descriptive statistics and also t-test was used to find out significant difference between two groups. It was found that employed young adults have higher self-esteem and lower hopelessness behaviors compared to unemployed young adults. Percentage calculation showed that employed young adults reported higher self-esteem (52.33%) and lower hopelessness (16.50%) compared to their unemployed counterparts, who had self-esteem at 41.20% and hopelessness at 37.50%. The percentage difference in self-esteem between the two groups was 11.13%, while the difference in hopelessness was 21.00%. These findings suggest that employment positively influences self-esteem and reduces feelings of hopelessness among young adults. The study underscores the importance of employment in enhancing psychological well-being, highlighting the need for policies and programs that support job opportunities to improve mental health outcomes.