Correlates of job search behaviour among unemployed job seekers in Ghana: A mediation model

Abstract

This study examined the role of goal setting and the association between the determinants of job search and job search behaviour among unemployed job seekers. Participants were 203 Ghanaians (female = 38%; bachelor’s degree holders = 85%; master’s degree holders = 15%; mean age = 26.5 years, SD = 5.49 years). The results of the structural equation model showed that employment goal commitment mediated job search behaviour and job search determinants of financial hardship, subjective norm, job search efficacy, and social support. Unexpectedly, results revealed that individuals with higher social support were less likely to engage in job search behaviour. These findings suggest that personal agency is important to job search behaviours in a developing country economy.

Keywords:

• financial hardship
• Ghana
• job search behaviour
• unemployment