Job Insecurity, Worries About the Future, and Somatic Complaints in Two Economic and Cultural Contexts: A Study in Spain and Austria

Job insecurity is an evident work stressor with a well-established negative impact on health and well-being. However, there is little empirical evidence for the underlying mechanisms. Against the background of the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory of stress, this questionnaire study examined the anticipated deprivation hypothesis - proposing that worries about material (financial) deprivation and a decline of social relationships in the future mediate the relationship between job insecurity and somatic complaints. The sample was composed of 1,445 employees from Spain and Austria. Results of structural equation modeling (SEM) supported mediation effects in both countries, especially for worries about a future deterioration of social relationships. Moreover, the study addressed the role of the economic and cultural contexts. Although job insecurity and worries about the future were significantly higher in the Spanish subsample, results of a Multi-Group SEM showed (in contradiction to the initial hypothesis) stronger effects in the Austrian subsample.