ABSTRACT
Although occupational stress research has shown that paid work not only has positive effects on health, but can also be perceived as a threat, the underlying general assumption of unemployment research is that loss of paid work can be a risk to a person's health status. As unemployment became costly, the more urgent question concerned which models would help the unemployed return to the job market. Interestingly, the meta-analysis revealed that the positive effect of finding a new job on health was bigger than the negative effect of job loss. The psychological reaction most often researched is depression, although elevated anxiety and negative effects on self-esteem are also well documented. Some governments are concerned about the degree of financial assistance they should pay to unemployed people, based on the assumption that earning money is an important motivator for job search activities.
