Political attitudes and voting among unemployed and employed youth.

This study investigated the political involvement of a sample of 1294 young people aged 17-18 years old. Seventeen per cent were employed and 83 per cent were unemployed, and the sample included males and females, blacks and white. When compared with the employed, the unemployed were more disaffected with the political system, more likely to support the Labour Party, less likely to support the Conservative Party, more likely to have voted Labour in the 1983 General Election, and less likely to have voted Conservative. Ethnic comparisons indicated that blacks were more politically disaffected than whites, were more likely than whites to express support for the Labour Party, and were more likely to vote Labour in the 1983 General Election. The only major sex difference was amongst whites, such that males were more likely to support the National Front, and females more likely to support Labour. Results are interpreted as indicating increased detachment from the main political system for some unemployed young people, and with increased attachment to Labour politics among others.

Social support, social pressures and psychological distress during unemployment.

A sample of 1150 unemployed 17 year-olds, containing blacks and whites, males and females, was obtained from 11 urban regions in England. Social support was measured in respect of five different forms of help from others. Measures were also obtained of psychological distress, perceived pressure from others to obtain a job, employment commitment, contact with other young people, and contact with other unemployed young people. Two forms of social support (having someone to turn to for help with money, and having someone to suggest interesting things to do) were significantly associated with measures of distress, as were perceived pressure to obtain a job and employment commitment, but not contact with other unemployed young people. The association between distress and having someone to turn to for help with money was greater for those perceiving pressure from others to obtain a job than those not perceiving pressure. Also, the association between distress and having someone to turn to when feeling low was greater for those with a high employment commitment than for those with a low one. Other associations between support and distress were found to be affected by sex and ethnic differences in the sample. The results are discussed in the light of a stress-buffering model of social support; and the need to disaggregate social support into its component parts is emphasized.

The experience of unemployment among black and white urban teenagers.

The psychological health and labour market commitment of 1150 unemployed 17-year-olds in 11 urban areas of England were examined. Distress levels were significantly higher than among comparable employed samples, and symptoms had usually commenced after the onset of unemployment. Unemployed black respondents (of Afro-Caribbean descent) were found to exhibit significantly lower levels of distress and depression than whites. However, no differences were recorded between black and white respondents in respect of anxiety, financial strain and concern over being unemployed. Commitment to the labour market was significantly greater among white males than black males, perhaps because the latter have responded realistically to their disadvantaged labour market position. However, ethnic differences in commitment were generally absent in the case of females. Length of time out of work was unrelated to affective well-being and employment commitment in both ethnic groups, but job search attitudes were significantly less positive among respondents who had been unemployed for longer periods.