FACTORS RELATED TO THE WORKING ENVIRONMENT OF EMPLOYMENT SPECIALISTS

To examine factors related to the working environment of employment specialists, a survey was conducted of 1,003 employment specialists. Six demographic factors (geographic location, gender, age, education, formal training, and the length of training) and eleven work related factors (length of employment, work hours per week, employment settings, wage per hour, medical benefits, vacation benefits, job duty, case loads, work alone, satisfaction, and intent-to-turnover) were analyzed. The majority of the employment specialists had been employed less than one year, reported low wages and indicated a desire to leave their positions in the near future even though the majority were satisfied with their work. In further statistical analyses, this ''intent-to-turnover'' factor was significantly associated with the factors of geographic location, age, education, caseload size, work satisfaction, work hours, hourly wage, and job duties. These results are discussed in light of their implications for enhancing the professionalization of these most critical individuals.