Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

The purpose of this study was to collect information about a group of unemployed men aged 40 plus, who were in professional and executive occupations, in order to describe their situation using biographical information. To attempt to relate length of unemployment to such factors as anxiety, intelligence, sociability, neuroticism, psychosomatic illness; and to study attitudes to former work situation (as well as) current job seeking strategy and reactions to becoming unemployed.

Main Topics:

Attitudinal/Behavioural Questions Occupation: number of firms worked for in past 10 years; nature of firm; position held; salary; number of firms worked for before being manager; number of house/job moves; prospects about six months before redundancy. Satisfaction with job, employer and firm. Using the Cornell Medical Index, respondent's degree of interest, anxiety, verbal intelligence, sociability, neuroticism and motivation was ascertained. Job description: amount of supervision; delegation and responsibility; number of personnel decisions made; amount of advice; negotiating; social obligations and personal sacrifices. Attitudes to redundancy were examined in detail (respondent and spouse), methods of seeking a new job, contact with Labour Exchange, financial situation, number of interviews attended. Number of close friends and frequency of contact, membership of clubs, leisure activities, religion, opinion on British problems, changes respondent would like to see, kind of person for Prime Minister (best age, reasons), attitude to younger/older generation, most important things in life. Background Variables Age, sex, marital status, number of children (age, employment status, number of married children), educational qualifications.

Quota sample

volunteers

Face-to-face interview

Postal survey