TAU says that hefty student loan debt leads to difficulty finding work
The study notes that nearly half (48%) of graduates from universities in the US are having this issue.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFStudents on campus at Tel Aviv University(photo credit: TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY)Researchers at Tel Aviv University found that college graduates who are under the pressure of paying back hefty student loans debts in the United States have difficulties securing full-time employment following graduation, mainly due to the surmounting pressure and stress that accompanies their student loan debt.The study notes that nearly half (48%) of graduates from universities in the US are having this issue.They note, as stated above, that the need to pay back student debt "negatively impacts the efforts of graduating students to enter the workforce."Such stress may arise during job interviews, lack of response with regard to job applications or working odd jobs as opposed to following their major field of study.The research itself, was conducted in collaboration with the four mentioned universities above, and published in the Applied Psychology journal in January of this year.The researchers focused on the senior classes of these four universities, keeping in contact with them throughout their first month of prost-graduation - when many students are attempting to contact employers for their first real position in the workforce, hoping to find jobs within their major field of study. Some 1,248 undergraduates with debts surmounting to an average of $28,000, were also included within the study.Prof. Peter Bamberger of the Coller School of Management at Tel Aviv University notes that the financial pressure of paying back student debts can either garner extra motivation for a student to find his/her dream job or it can cause so much mental stress that the pressure gets to them and hampers their ability to seek employment effectively.The researchers conclude that the findings indicate a direct correlation between the amount of debt owed and the mental stress that accompanies the debt - negatively impacting job search, and be "detrimental to the individual's earning potential later on," while the hypothesized positive effect of increased motivation due to financial pressure was found to be marginal at best.""Our findings have several practical implications: First, students seeking employment should take active steps to reduce the stress they feel, and conduct a methodical job search with long-term benefits, rather than looking for fast, easily available employment. Universities, on their part, should initiate stress management and job search workshops, as well as financial planning programs, to help their students enter the workforce in a more advantageous manner," Bamberger concluded.
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