Table 1. Characteristics of Unemployed Job Seekers at Baseline.
| Characteristic | Valuea | P Value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonsmoker (n = 120) | Current Smoker (n = 131) | ||
| Age, mean (SD), y | 49.3 (11.9) | 46.2 (10.8) | .03 |
| Male sex | 63 (52.5) | 102 (77.9) | <.001 |
| Ethnicity | |||
| Non-Hispanic white | 56 (46.7) | 40 (30.6) | <.001 |
| African American | 23 (19.2) | 67 (51.1) | |
| Hispanic | 17 (14.2) | 7 (5.3) | |
| Asian or Pacific Islander | 16 (13.3) | 2 (1.5) | |
| Multiracial or other | 8 (6.7) | 15 (11.5) | |
| County | |||
| Suburban | 62 (51.7) | 32 (24.4) | <.001 |
| Urban | 58 (48.3) | 99 (75.6) | |
| Marital status | |||
| Never married or single | 56 (46.7) | 73 (55.8) | .01 |
| Married or cohabitating | 25 (20.8) | 10 (7.6) | |
| Divorced, separated, or widowed | 39 (32.5) | 48 (36.6) | |
| Education, mean (SD), y | 14.6 (2.7) | 12.9 (2.6) | <.001 |
| High school degree or less | 27 (22.5) | 65 (49.6) | <.001 |
| Some college | 36 (30.0) | 45 (34.4) | |
| Completed college degree | 57 (47.5) | 21 (16.0) | |
| Housing | |||
| Own, rent, or live with family | 93 (77.5) | 59 (45.0) | <.001 |
| Transitional or unhousedb | 27 (22.5) | 72 (55.0) | |
| Lack of reliable transportation | 22 (18.3) | 48 (36.6) | .001 |
| Criminal history | 17 (14.2) | 35 (26.7) | .01 |
| Prior treatment for drug or alcohol use | 18 (15.0) | 54 (43.5) | .001 |
| Prior mental health treatment | 47 (39.2) | 59 (46.1) | .27 |
| Kessler 6 scale | |||
| None or mild psychological distress | 52 (43.3) | 50 (38.2) | .28 |
| Moderate psychological distress | 56 (46.7) | 59 (45.0) | |
| Severe psychological distress | 12 (10.0) | 22 (16.8) | |
| Perceived health status | |||
| Poor or fair | 15 (12.5) | 37 (28.2) | <.001 |
| Good | 38 (31.7) | 54 (41.2) | |
| Very good or excellent | 67 (55.8) | 40 (30.5) | |
| BMI, mean (SD) | 27.3 (6.7) | 26.1 (5.0) | .11 |
| Chronicity of unemployment, mo | |||
| 0-3 | 51 (42.5) | 21 (16.0) | <.001 |
| >3-6 | 14 (11.7) | 23 (17.6) | |
| >6-12 | 24 (20.0) | 39 (29.8) | |
| >12 | 31 (25.8) | 48 (36.6) | |
| Past year gross income, $ | |||
| <10 000 | 47 (39.2) | 65 (49.6) | .03 |
| 10 000-20 000 | 20 (16.7) | 25 (19.1) | |
| 21 000-40 000 | 22 (18.3) | 26 (19.8) | |
| >41 000 | 31 (25.8) | 15 (11.5) | |
| Career clustersc | |||
| Agriculture, food, and natural resources | 8 (6.7) | 16 (12.2) | .14 |
| Architecture and construction | 16 (13.3) | 17 (13.0) | .93 |
| Arts, audio and video technology, and communications | 17 (14.2) | 10 (7.6) | .10 |
| Business, management, and administration | 31 (25.8) | 14 (10.7) | .002 |
| Education and training | 17 (14.2) | 7 (5.3) | .02 |
| Finance | 11 (9.2) | 5 (3.8) | .08 |
| Government and public administration | 15 (12.5) | 9 (6.9) | .13 |
| Health science | 19 (15.8) | 9 (6.9) | .02 |
| Hospitality and tourism | 15 (12.5) | 28 (19.1) | .16 |
| Human services | 20 (16.7) | 20 (15.3) | .76 |
| Information technology | 10 (8.3) | 9 (6.9) | .66 |
| Law, public safety, corrections, security | 12 (10.0) | 13 (9.9) | .98 |
| Manufacturing | 7 (5.8) | 6 (4.6) | .65 |
| Marketing, sales, and service | 33 (27.5) | 15 (11.5) | .001 |
| Science, technology, engineering, math | 9 (7.5) | 1 (0.8) | .006 |
| Transportation, distribution and logistics | 16 (13.3) | 13 (9.9) | .40 |
| Other (eg, “would take any job”) | 4 (3.3) | 6 (4.6) | .61 |
| Reason last employment ended | |||
| Laid off or contract work ended | 72 (60.0) | 73 (55.7) | .36 |
| Fired | 14 (11.7) | 24 (18.3) | |
| Quit | 7 (5.8) | 5 (3.8) | |
| Relocated | 10 (8.3) | 6 (4.6) | |
| Other (eg, medical, pregnant, legal) | 17 (14.2) | 23 (17.6) | |
Abbreviation: BMI, body mass index (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared).
a
Data are presented as number (percentage) of participants unless otherwise indicated.
b
Includes homeless, single residency occupancy, halfway house, or therapeutic community.
c
Career clusters based on O *Net classifications, part of the American JobCenter Network.