The role of work values in individual’s employment status

Abstract

This study investigates whether unemployed individuals differ in their work values from employed individuals. Multidimensional Work Ethic Profile (MWEP), which consists of seven dimensions, was used to examine the employment differences in work values. A large survey of individuals in Estonia (n = 2359) conducted in February 2024 served as the data source, consisting of Estonian (n = 1866) and Russian (n = 493) respondents. An exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted on both of the linguistic groups to validate the MWEP factor structures in the local context. Then, binary logistic regression models were implemented to study the likelihood of employment based on the derived factor structures and control variables (age, gender, and education level). The results of this study about work values did not provide statistical evidence of being distinguishable between the employed and unemployed. However, unemployed Russian-speaking respondents turned out to be more self-reliant than Russian-speaking employees. Among the control variables, education level was a significant predictor of employment status, with higher education obtainers having higher likelihood of employment. Additionally, it was discovered that Russians were significantly less likely to be employed than Estonians in the entire sample model. The study concludes by authors providing suggestions to implement in further research.