대학 졸업자의 노동시장 진입 지연은 실업을 장기화시키고 청년층의 역량을 퇴화시켜 개인적으로는 직업 적응력을 저하시키고 사회적으로는 경제적 손실, 동시에 전체 노동시장의 침체로 이어지고 있다. 본 연구는 예비 대학졸업자들의 생애 첫 취업을 위한 구직강도의 결정요인을 살펴보았다. 결정요인으로는 구직동기요인 으로 고용몰입, 경제적 어려움, 구직명료성을, 구직역량요인으로 구직효능감과 사회자본을 선정하여 구직강도에 미치는 영향을 분석하였다. 이를 위해 지방대학에 재학중인 2013년 졸업예정자 274명이 최종 분석에 포함되었다. 구직강도의 주요 결정요인인 구직효능감의 내생성 문제로 인해 2단계 최소자승법(2SLS 모델)을 사용하였다. 2단계 최소자승법은 LIMDEP 8.0 프로그램을 사용하였다. 연구의 주요 결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 구직강도의 결정요인 가운데, 사회자본은 구직효능감과 달리 구직강도에 부(-)의 영향력을 보였다. 생애 첫 취업을 위한 대학생들에게 구직에 도움을 줄 수 있는 인적 네트워크는 구직강도의 필요성을 감소시키는 반면, 오히려 사회자본이 부족한 대학생이 활발한 구직활동을 보여주었다. 둘째, 구직명료성과 구직효능감은 구직강도를 유의하게 증가시켰다. 본인이 원하는 직무와 직업에 대해 명확한 생각을 가진다는 것은 구직활동을 원활하게 하는데 도움을 줄 수 있을 것이다. 마찬가지로, 취업에 있어 자기 능력에 대한 믿음이 강할수록 구직강도 역시 향상될 수 있을 것이다. 이 결과는 고정된 요인들보다는 교육을 통해 향상 가능한 구직명료성과 구직효능감이 구직활동에 도움을 줄 수 있음을 암시한다.
With financial crisis, younger unemployment became serious issue in the face of worsening younger job market. Korea’s unemployment among expectant college graduates is little sign of improvement. Most of the psychological and sociological research on the job search has focused on the impact of reemployment. In contrast, job seekers for first employment have got less attentions. In response to this tendency, the purpose of this study was to explore the determinants of job search intensity for first employment among preliminary college graduates. The job search intensity included the frequency and scope of engagement in job search behaviors such as looking at employment advertisements or calling potential employers. The empirical model employed job search motive factor such as employment commitment, economic hardship and job search clarity and job search competency factor such as job search efficacy and social asset. The term, employment commitment is a attitudinal factor that refers to the importance or centrality on individual places on employed work. The motive to work as a means of reducing economic hardship is typically inferred from current household income and associated financial problems. The job search clarity is defined as the extent to which unemployed job seekers have clear job-search objectives and a clear idea of the type of career, work, job desired. The social assets is the extent to which job seekers have human resource to provide advices, counselling, and information for job. The term, Job search efficacy refers to as individuals’ confidence in his or her ability to successfully perform a variety of job search activities. The data were collected between September, 25 and October, 16 in 2012. Total of 274 expected graduates from four universities located in non-central regions, Korea, were included for the empirical analysis. The convergent validity and the discriminant validity were confirmed through Confirmatory Factor Analysis and A.V.E., and the reliability of the six latent factors were tested by Cronbach’s α. The Hausman Endogeneity Test for job search clarity and job search efficacy were run. No endogeneity problem was found for job search clarity. Due to the endogeneity problem of job search efficacy, however, 2SLS (2 stage least squares) was employed using LIMDEP 8.0 statistical program. In the 2nd step, the expected value of job search efficacy was used instead of the actual value of job search efficacy. The statistical results found that follows as: First, unexpectedly, it seems likely that social asset had the role of diminishing the needs for job search intensity, implying higher job search intensity could mitigate the disadvantages from insufficient social assets. Unlike job seekers for reemployment, the sufficient human resources could compensate the job search activities such as looking at employment web sites or calling potential employers. Rather, expected graduates with insufficient social assets showed extensive job search behaviors. Second, the results indicated that higher job search efficacy and higher job search clarity significantly increased the levels of job search intensity among expected graduates. The lack of understanding of job search objectives and general difficulty making decisions on jobs and duties could be obstacle to job search activities. Also, individuals’ confidence in one’s ability to successfully perform a variety of job search activities would increase the frequency and scope of engagement in job search behaviors. Individuals’ economic hardship and employment commitment were not influential to job search intensity. Even with no significant effects of employment commitment, this factor could have the role of promoting job search efficacy. Overall, it would be important for expectant graduates to understand jobs and duties they pursue and to have competency for job search to promote job search intensity. Future study should conduct research on job search motivations and activities that extend the implications about younger workers’ employment. The government and university should carry out employment support and career guidance counselling policies accompanied by promotion policy for college student.