PREDICTING THE LIKELIHOOD OF JOB PLACEMENT - A SHORT-TERM PERSPECTIVE

This research examined the association between individual characteristics and obtaining a job within six months of program entry for 200 individuals with mental retardation, severe learning and psychiatric disabilities. The most significant finding was that in each disability category, an age by gender interaction contributed to differential placement probabilities, In early adulthood, the probability that men would obtain a job was greater than for women; however, this probability reversed after age 35 when women were more likely to obtain a job than men. In addition the findings indicated that individuals with mental retardation and severe learning disabilities were placed in jobs at similar rates whereas individuals with psychiatric disabilities had lower probabilities to be placed than either those with mental retardation or learning disabilities.