Many of today's unemployed are middle managers or midcareer professionals who lost their jobs through no fault of their own. This study examined psychological effects of unemployment on 178 professionals using an adaptation of Kaufman's adjustment to unemployment scale. Analysis indicated two factors, negative affect (which includes anxiety, burden, irritation, resentment, and anomie; α = .69) and general affect (self-esteem, depression, and life satisfaction; α = .73). Implications for the study of unemployed professionals are discussed.
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