Reasons for job separations in a cohort of workers with psychiatric disabilities

1. Reasons for job separations in a cohort of workers with psychiatric disabilities Judith A. Cook, PhD; Jane K. Burke-Miller, PhD

2. Aim • Explore the relative effects of adverse working conditions, job satisfaction, wages, worker characteristics, and local labor markets in explaining voluntary job separations (quits) among employed workers with psychiatric disabilities. • Relevance • Information about the causes and antecedents of voluntary job separation is needed to inform return to work and job retention interventions as well as public disability employment policies.

3. Method • Data come from the Employment Intervention Demonstration Program. • 2,086 jobs ended by 892 workers during 24 mo observation period. • Used stepped multivariable logistic regression analysis to examine the effect of variables on the likelihood of quitting.

4. Results • Job separations: • Voluntary: 59% • Involuntary: 41% • Firings: 17% • Temporary job endings: 14% • Layoffs: 10% • In multivariable analysis, workers were more likely to quit when: • They were employed ≤20 h/wk. • They were dissatisfied. • Position was low-wage. • Position was temporary. • Position was in the structural (construction) occupation. • Voluntary separation was less likely for: • Older workers. • Members of racial/ethnic minority groups. • Those residing in regions with lower unemployment rates.

5. Conclusion • Patterns of job separation for workers with psychiatric disabilities mirrored some findings regarding job leaving in the general labor force but contradicted others. • Job separation antecedents reflect the concentration of jobs for workers with psychiatric disabilities in the secondary labor market: • Low salary. • Temporary. • Part-time.