Introduction: For many workers, the pandemic led to career shocks in
terms of employment disruptions (job loss, short-time work), which may
induce economic stress (i.e., job insecurity, financial stress). Yet it is
unclear how exactly career shocks affect economic stress and well-being
beyond immediate reactions. We argue that such long-term effects also
depend on how people have coped with the experience.
Purpose: Based on stress theories and life course perspectives, this
study investigates relationships between past career shocks, current
experiences of economic stress and well-being. We explore the role of
posttraumatic growth as a potential moderator in these relationships.
Methods: We conduct a longitudinal study with five measurements,
about six weeks apart, among a diverse sample of employees from
different sectors. Respondents retrospectively report career shocks
during the pandemic, posttraumatic growth at the beginning of the
survey, as well as current job insecurity, financial stress and well-being
at each time point. The data collection will be completed in autumn
2025 with an expected N = 160. Multilevel models will be calculated to
test our hypotheses.
Results: We expect past career shocks to predict current economic
stress. We also expect economic stress to relate to lower well-being, in
terms of differences between persons and changes within persons.
Posttraumatic growth may moderate a) effects of past career shocks,
such that people with more posttraumatic growth perceive less
economic stress after the shock, and b) effects of economic stress on
well-being, such that people with more posttraumatic growth react less
strongly to economic stress.
Conclusion: The study will contribute to the understanding of longer
term outcomes of career shocks, as well as economic stress in the
context of the life course. It will also highlight individual differences in
how people cope with critical life events such as career shocks.
Keywords: Career shocks; economic stressors;well-being;posttraumaticgrowth