Reducing unemployment: Lay beliefs about how to reduce current unemployment

Examined 221 female and 227 male lay people's (primarily aged 16-65 yrs) perceived cures for current unemployment in the UK through interviews in which Ss answered 1 open-ended and 6 closed-ended questions. Results show a wide variety of perceived ways of reducing unemployment, ranging from stimulating the economy to provide more jobs to redistributing existing jobs. However, the ratings of the 6 specific questions revealed little agreement between the Ss with regard to job sharing, reducing working hours, and women giving up their jobs. There were some predictable sex, age, and employment history differences in the Ss' responses. Results are discussed in terms of the role of lay beliefs in the economy, the literature on unemployment, and possibilities for future research. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved).