Influence of Parents' Employment/Unemployment Condition in Adolescents' Career Exploration and Indecision

This study focuses on the impact of parents' employment/unemployment condition on the beliefs, behaviors and reactions of career exploration and indecision of adolescents. Career Exploration Survey and Career Decision Scale were administered to a sample of 321 Portuguese adolescents of both sexes (190 women - 59.2% and 131 men - 40.8%) aged between 13 and 17 years. The results indicate that the adolescents whose parents are unemployed express significantly less positive beliefs about the labor market, less exploratory behaviors, and less positive emotional reactions than the adolescents whose parents are employed and, consequently, higher levels of career indecision. The results are discussed based on the implications of psychological intervention and point out directions for future research.