Images of unemployed people: developing a scale to measure the stigma associated with the unemployed]

This study investigated the images that people have of the unemployed. In study 1, general images of the unemployed were ascertained through qualitative and quantitative research. Various images, both positive and negative, were found for the unemployed in general. In study 2, a scale to measure the level of stigma associated with the unemployed was created based on the images from study 1. The results yielded four subscales for stigma associated with the unemployed. University students seemed to show more stigma for the unemployed on some sub-scales than typical adults did. Working experiences, such as an internship or a part-time job during student life, would promote the reduction of the stigma associated with the unemployed.