CHRONIC JOB INSECURITY AMONG AUTOMOBILE WORKERS - EFFECTS ON JOB-SATISFACTION AND HEALTH

Work conditions characterized by uncertainty and ambiguity are potenti al stressors for employees. One such stressor is job insecurity. This longitudinal study of 207 automobile manufacturing workers indicates t hat chronic job insecurity is predictive of changes over time in both job satisfaction and physical symptoms. Extended periods of job insecu rity decrease job satisfaction and increase physical symptomatology, o ver and above the effects of job insecurity at any single point in tim e. These results indicate that job insecurity acts as a chronic stress or whose effects become more potent as the time of exposure increases. Worksite health professionals should develop strategies for reducing the impact of job insecurity on employee well-being, particularly in i ndustries where employment opportunities are declining.