Under the Fierce Employment Race: The Gender Disparities In Marginalization, Career Adaptability, and Employment Anxiety

Background: Gender differences in employment anxiety symptoms (EAS) have not received much empirical attention compared with other well-documented gender differences in career adaptation and mental illness symptoms, while employment anxiety is growing due to the fierce competition in the labor market. Women may suffer more EAS deriving from the marginalization experiences from early childhood to now, thereby having fewer opportunities to foster career adaptability. The fierce competitive labor market may exacerbate the gender disparities in the career adaptation sequence.

Methods: Grounded in the psychology of work theory and career constructive theory, this research drew on an online sample of recent graduates who were seeking jobs (N = 1400) in China.

Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to examine the mediation model of gender differences in EAS. A latent moderated structural equation modeling approach (LMS) was used to examine the hypothesized moderated mediation model.

Results: The results indicated that girls were more likely to experience more lifetime marginalization than boys; this was associated with lower career adaptability, thereby suffering more employment anxiety symptoms. The results also supported the moderating effect of fierce competition climate and found that gender differences in lifetime marginalization, career adaptability, and employment anxiety symptoms were manifested under the fierce competition climate.

Implications: Given that gender differences in career adaptation sequence were aggravated in the fierce competition climate, it is crucial to promote a gender equality competition atmosphere. Meanwhile, a wide variety of lifetime empowerment approaches for women is also significant, one of which is to cultivate their career adaptability.