This study extends previous work that has shown that perceived threats to the security of employees' jobs can have deleterious effects on their health. The study examined (a) whether intrinsic work characteristics are better predictors of perceived job security than extrinsic work characteristics and (b) whether job security contributes to the prediction of employee health independent of intrinsic and extrinsic characteristics of their jobs. Participants in the study were 104 employees from the central personnel office of a large state agency. Job security was found to be related to both intri nsic and extrinsic work factors, although more closely related to intrinsic factors. Perceptions of job security contributed unique (and significant) variance to the prediction of employee health, suggesting that job security is central to the physical and psychological well-being of employees. Implications for understanding the impact of job security on workers' lives are discussed.
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