Effects of Self-Awareness of Chinese College Students on Employment Confidence through Career Preparation Behavior and Hope : Moderated Mediation Effect of Grit

진평파 한서대학교 대학원 2025 국내박사

The purpose of this study is to examine whether grit moderates the mediating effect of self-awareness on employment confidence through career preparation behavior and hope, thereby providing foundational data for improving employment confidence among Chinese college students. To achieve this research objective, convenience sampling was used to select 300 Chinese college students from universities in three different cities, and data were collected through a questionnaire. For data analysis, frequency analysis, reliability analysis, mean comparison analysis (t-test, One-way ANOVA), bivariate correlation analysis, mediating effect, moderating effect, and moderated mediating effect analyses were employed. The conclusions of the study are as follows. First, self-awareness was higher among students aged 19 and below and in the 20-year-old age group compared to those aged 21 and older. Freshmen and sophomores showed higher self-awareness than juniors and seniors. Grit was higher among females than males, and those aged 19 and below had higher grit compared to other age groups. Career preparation behavior was higher among females than males, and hope was higher in the 19 and below and 20-year-old age groups compared to those aged 21 and 22 and above. Employment confidence was higher among females than males, and in terms of age, those aged 19 and below had higher employment confidence compared to those aged 21 and 22 and older, and those aged 20 had higher employment confidence than those aged 22 and older. Second, self-awareness, grit, career preparation behavior, hope, and employment confidence all showed positive correlations. Third, self-awareness directly influenced students' employment confidence, but it also indirectly influenced employment confidence through career preparation behavior. Fourth, self-awareness directly influenced employment confidence, but it also had an indirect effect through hope. Fifth, self-awareness not only directly influenced employment confidence but also indirectly influenced it through both career preparation behavior and hope. Sixth, grit moderated the relationship between self-awareness and career preparation behavior, amplifying the effect of self-awareness on career preparation behavior. Seventh, grit moderated and mediated the path from self-awareness → career preparation behavior → hope → employment confidence, contributing to the enhancement of employment confidence. This study elucidates the structural relationship between self-awareness and employment confidence, providing new insights into the interaction between career preparation and individual psychological characteristics. Specifically, the discovery of grit’s moderated mediating effect suggests that personalized guidance tailored to an individual’s perseverance and passion levels is necessary in career counseling for college students. Keywords: Self-awareness, Grit, Career Preparation Behavior, Hope, Employment Confidence, College Students, Mediating Effect, Moderating Effect, Moderated Mediating Effect.

A Study on the Impact of Quality of Higher Education on Student Employment Ability: Mediating Roles of Academic Self-Efficacy and Learning Flow, and Moderating Role of Grit : Focusing on the case of Chinese Acting Major students

두방 세한대학교 대학원 2024 국내박사

This study focuses on the phenomenon of the misalignment between the employability of Chinese students majoring in acting and market demands. Through an analysis of the current state of education in Chinese acting majors and a review of prior research, the research explores the constituent elements influencing students' employment ability, establishes interrelated research models, and formulates hypotheses. By validating these hypotheses, the study aims to provide a deeper understanding of the Quality of Higher Education in Chinese acting majors, subsequently enhancing students' employment ability to meet the practical demands of the knowledge economy era on the training of professional talents in the field of performing arts for societal and economic development. To achieve this goal, the study employs various research methods, including literature review, questionnaire surveys, and statistical analysis, focusing on the Employment ability of Acting Major students in China. The research specifically targets undergraduate students at Xi'an International Studies University, analyzing the current impact of higher education on the cultivation of employment ability in Acting Majors within the Chinese context. The research findings are as follows. First, there is a positive causal relationship between the Quality of Higher Education and Student Employment ability. Second, there is a positive causal relationship between the Quality of Higher Education and Academic Self-efficacy. Third, there is a positive causal relationship between the Quality of Higher Education and Learning flow. Fourth, there is a positive causal relationship between Academic Self-efficacy and Student Employment ability. Fifth, there is a positive causal relationship between Learning Flow and Student Employment ability. Sixth, Academic Self-efficacy and Learning Flow mediate the relationship between the Quality of Higher Education and Student Employment Ability. Seventh, Grit moderates the relationship between Learning flow and Student Employment ability. Based on the research findings, the study concludes. Firstly, the cultivation and enhancement of Student Employment ability among Chinese Acting Major students constitute a long-term and dynamic process, involving factors such as the Quality of Higher Education, Academic Self-efficacy, Learning flow, and Grit. Secondly, the impact of various forms of educational support and the Quality of Higher Education provided by universities extends to the development of students' employment ability and future prospects. Moreover, these factors exert a positive influence on students' affective cognitive elements, including Academic Self-efficacy and Learning flow. In the process of formulating management policies and delivering educational services and support, universities should address the needs of Chinese Acting Major students as the primary stakeholders, accurately provide relevant services, and guide students to actively participate in educational activities for better personal development. Thirdly, shaping Chinese Acting Major students' employment perspectives through school educational activities can elevate their Academic Self-efficacy and Learning flow, consequently fostering an interest in performing arts and a willingness to dedicate more time to learning and practice. Lastly, universities should emphasize the importance of Grit, implementing measures to enhance the perseverance levels of Chinese Acting Major students, thereby aiding in the further improvement of their Student Employment ability. In conclusion, this study validates and elucidates the mechanisms through which Quality of Higher Education, Academic Self-efficacy, Learning flow, and Grit impact students' employment abilities. Through the analysis of mediating and moderating effects, a more comprehensive understanding of the roles of these factors in shaping students' employment abilities has been attained. These findings offer valuable insights for universities seeking to improve educational quality, cultivate student confidence, and enhance active flow, thereby facilitating the elevation of students' employment abilities. Keywords: Quality of Higher Education, Student Employment ability, Academic Self-efficacy, Learning flow, Grit, Chinese Acting Major students

A Study on the Effects of Major Selection Motivation and Self-Efficacy on Employment Preparation Behavior in the Art College : -Focused on Mediating effect of Major Satisfaction-

곡박가 세한대학교 일반대학원 2021 국내박사

This study attempts to understand the structural relationship among the major selection motivation, self-efficacy, major satisfaction and employment preparation behavior of fine arts students. Then it realizes whether the major selection motivation and self-efficacy will have an impact on the employment preparation behavior under the mediating role of major satisfaction. Under this background, 712 college students majoring in fine arts from Beijing, Hangzhou and Harbin have participated in the study, it has used the scale of major selection motivation, self-efficacy, major satisfaction and employment preparation behavior as research tools. First of all, in order to understand the general characteristics of students in art related majors and the characteristics of major selection motivation, self-efficacy, major satisfaction and employment preparation behavior, technical statistics were done in this paper. Secondly, the exploratory factor analysis was conducted on the construction feasibility of major selection motivation, major satisfaction, self-efficacy and employment preparation behavior, and the Cronbach's α values is obtained from the reliability (internal consistency) of the measurement tool. Thirdly, ANOVA (analysis of variance) was used to analyze the difference of employment preparation behavior under general characteristics. Fourthly, regression analysis was done to analyze the factors influencing major satisfaction and employment preparation behavior. Fifthly, in order to test the mediating effect of major satisfaction, multiple regression analysis was conducted according to Baron and Kenny (1986). The results of this study are summarized as follows: Firstly, the analysis results of the influencing factors of major satisfaction show that the sub-factors of major selection motivation, personal motivation and social motivation have a positive (+) influence on major satisfaction, and the self-confidence is a sub-factor of self-efficacy and self-regulating efficacy have a positive (+) influence on major satisfaction. Secondly, the analysis results of the influencing factors of employment preparation behavior show that the sub-factor of major selection motivation, personal motivation and social motivation have a positive (+) influence on employment preparation behavior, and the sub-factor of self-efficacy, self-confidence and self-regulating efficacy have a positive (+) influence on employment preparation behavior, while the sub-factor of major satisfaction is cognitive satisfaction, relation-course satisfaction and general satisfaction all have a positive (+) impact on employment preparation behavior. Thirdly, it analyzes the mediating effect analysis results of major satisfaction between major selection motivation and employment preparation behavior: major satisfaction prediction plays a partial mediating role in the positive (+) direction. The analysis results of further testing the sub-factors of major satisfaction as media factors are as follows: cognitive satisfaction, relation-course satisfaction and general satisfaction are all predicted to be partial mediating effect. Fourthly, the analysis results of the mediating effect of major satisfaction between self-efficacy and employment preparation behavior: major satisfaction prediction plays a partial mediating role in the positive (+) direction. The analysis results of further testing the sub-factors of major satisfaction as media factors are as follows: cognitive satisfaction, relationship course satisfaction and general satisfaction are all predicted to be partial mediating effect. It can be seen that the major selection motivation and self-efficacy of college students majoring in fine arts can affect the performance of major satisfaction. At the same time, it will have an impact on the activeness of employment preparation behavior. Although fine arts college students choose fine arts based on the background of social recognition and market demand, but when choosing fine arts, if choose according to their own adaptability or quality and other factors, their interest and value in the fine arts discipline will be improved, and the satisfaction of the major will be further enhanced, which will also improve the positivity or enthusiasm of a series of related preparations before employment. Therefore, in the process of college admission counseling, students themselves should fully consider the factors such as personal aptitude or quality, which will help to smoothly transition from the university stage to the career stage and realize their personal career ideals; on the other hand, in the subject operation, by applying students' major selection motivation and self-efficacy to exam interviews, employment support and employment consultation, it can also provide strong support for improving students' major satisfaction and employment preparation behavior, making the operation of the discipline more competitive.

The Moderating Effect of Coping Style in the Relationship Among Employment Stress, Self-Efficacy, and Mental Health of Chinese College Students

조혁 우석대학교 일반대학원 2024 국내박사

본 연구의 목적은 중국 대학생의 취업 스트레스, 자기효능감, 정신건강의 관계에서 대처방식의 조절효과를 분석하는 데 있다. 본 연구는 중국 대학생을 대상으로 편의추출 (convenience sampling) 을 실행하였다. 자료 수집을 위해 중국 광시장족자치구(广西壮族自治区) 소재 5개 대학의 38명의 행정직 직원을 통해 온라인 설문조사지 (www.wjx.cn)를 대학생들에게 보내도록 하였다. 그 결과 수집된 971 개의 표본을 분석 대상으로 하였다. 본 연구의 측정도구는 취업 스트레스 측정 도구, 자기 효능감 측정 도구, 대처 방식 측정 도구 및 정신 건강 측정 도구이다. 자료 분석은 SPSS 26.0을 사용하여 기술 통계 분석, t-test, one-way ANOVA, two-way ANOVA, 상관분석 및 탐색적 요인 분석을 실행하였고, AMOS 23.0을 사용하여 확인적 요인 분석 및 구조 방정식 모형 검증, 다중 그룹 경로 분석 등을 실행하였다. 본 연구의 결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 중국 대학생의 대처 방식은 적극적인 대처 방식이 소극적인 대처 방식보다 높다. 중국 대학생의 성별 대처 방식 차이가 있다. 중국 대학생의 대처 방식의 그룹 분류와 각 특성은 다음과 같다: (1) 적극적 대처가 높고 소극적 대처가 낮은 그룹 (PH-NL)은 취업 스트레스가 보통이고 자기효능감이 높으며, 정신건강은 보통이다. (2) 적극적 대처가 낮고 소극적 대처가 높은 그룹 (PL-NH)은 취업 스트레스가 높고 자기효능감이 낮으며, 정신건강이 나쁘다. (3) 적극적 대처와 소극적 대처가 모두 높은 그룹 (PH- NH)은 취업 스트레스가 높고 자기효능감이 보통이고, 정신건강이 나쁘다. (4) 적극적 대처와 소극적 대처가 모두 낮은 그룹 (PL-NL)은 취업 스트레스가 낮고 자기효능감이 높으며, 정신건강은 보통이다. 중국의 1 학년, 2 학년, 3 학년 대학생은 PH-NL 에 높은 비율로 분포되어 있고, 중국의 4 학년 대학생은 PL-NH에 높은 비율로 분포되어 있다. 둘째, 중국 대학생의 취업 스트레스는 비교적인 높은 수준에 있다. 중국 대학생의 성별, 연령, 출생지, 학생 간부 여부 및 사회적 실천 경험에 따라 취업 스트레스 차이가 있다. 능력 성격스트레스에서 성별과 대처방식 사이 상호 작용이 나타나고, 취업 자원 스트레스, 사회적 지원 스트레스, 전반적인 취업 스트레스에서 학생 간부 여부와 대처방식 사이의 상호 작용이 나타나며, 전반적인 취업 스트레스에서 사회적 실천 경험과 대처방식 간의 상호 작용이 나타난다. 셋째, 대학생의 자기효능감은 중등 이상의 수준에 있다. 중국 대학생의 학생 간부 여부와 사회적 실천 경험에 따라 자기효능감 차이가 있다. 중국 대학생의 자기효능감은 학생 간부 여부와 대처방식 사이 상호 작용이 나타난다. 넷째, 대학생의 정신 건강은 중하위 수준에 있다. 중국 대학생의 학년과 사회적 실천 경험에 따라 심리 건강 차이가 있다. 중국 대학생의 신체적 상태, 전반적인 정신 건강에서 학생 간부 여부와 대처방식 사이의 상호 작용이 나타난다. 다섯째, 중국 대학생의 취업 스트레스, 자기 효능감 및 정신 건강의 관계는 다음과 같다. 중국 대학생들의 취업 스트레스가 정신 건강에 정적인 (+) 직접 및 간접 영향을 미친다. 중국 대학생의 취업 스트레스는 자기 효능감에 부적인(-) 직접 영향을 미친다. 자기 효능감은 정신 건강에 부적인 (-) 직접 영향을 미친다. 중국 대학생의 자기 효능감은 중국 대학생의 취업 스트레스와 정신 건강 사이에서 부분 매개효과가 있다. 여섯째, 중국 대학생의 대처 방식은 취업 스트레스, 자기 효능감, 정신 건강 사이에 조절효과가 있다. 본 연구는 중국 대학생의 취업 스트레스, 자기 효능감, 대처 방식 및 정신 건강의 현황과 구조적 관계를 탐구함으로써, 취업 스트레스 완화, 자기 효능감 및 대처 방식강화를 통해 대학생들의 정신적 스트레스와 문제를 더 잘 완화하기 위한 기본적인 자료와 합리적인 제안을 제공하였다. 핵심어: 취업스트레스, 자기효능감, 대처방식, 정신건강, 중국 대학생 This study investigated the structural relationship among current Chinese college students' employment stress, self-efficacy, coping style, and mental health. To collect research data, the researchers distributed online survey questionnaires to college students through 38 guidance counselors from five colleges in Guangxi of China, using the Chinese online survey system (www.wjx.cn). 1045 students participated in the survey. After removing 74 invalid samples, the remaining 971 samples were used for analysis. The instruments used in this study include measurement tools for employment stress, self-efficacy, coping style, and mental health. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS 26.0 for descriptive statistics analysis, t-test, one-way ANOVA, two-way ANOVA, correlation analysis, and exploratory factor analysis. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation model validation were carried out using AMOS 23.0, as well as multiple-group path analysis and etc. The results of the study are as follows: First, among Chinese college students, positive coping style are more prevalent than negative coping style. There are differences in coping style based on gender among Chinese college students. The classification and characteristics of coping styles among these students are as follows: (1) positive high - negative low coping style group (PH-NL). The PH-NL group experiences normal employment stress, high self-efficacy, and normal mental health. (2) positive low - negative high coping style group (PL-NH). The PL-NH group experiences high employment stress, low self-efficacy, and bad mental health. (3) positive high - negative high coping style group (PH-NH). The PH-NH group experiences high employment stress, normal self-efficacy, and bad mental health. (4) positive low - negative low coping style group (PL-NL). The PL-NL group experiences low employment stress, high self-efficacy, and normal mental health. freshmen, sophomores, juniors are predominantly in the PH-NL group, while juniors are largely in the PL-NH group. Second, the overall employment stress level of college students is relatively high. There are differences in the overall employment stress based on gender, grade, birthplace, whether served as student cadre, and whether they had social practice experience. There are significant differences in employment stress among different coping style groups. There are significant differences in the impact of the interaction between whether to serve as a student cadre and coping style on employment resource stress, social support stress, and overall employment stress. Significant differences in the interaction between whether they had social practice experience and coping style on overall employment stress. Third, the self-efficacy of college students is slightly above average. There are differences in overall self-efficacy based on whether served as a student cadre, and whether they had social practice experience. There are significant differences in self-efficacy among different coping style groups. There are significant differences in the impact of the interaction between whether to serve as a student cadre and coping style on overall self-efficacy. Fourth, the mental health level of college students is below average. There are differences in overall mental health showed differences based on grade and whether they had social practice experience. There are significant differences in mental health among different coping style groups. There are significant differences in the impact of the interaction between whether to serve as a student cadre and coping style on somatic symptoms, and overall mental health. Fifth, the relationships among employment stress, self-efficacy, and mental health were analyzed. The employment stress has a direct and indirect positive impact on mental health. Employment stress has a direct negative impact on their sense of self-efficacy. Additionally, self-efficacy has a direct negative impact on mental health. The self-efficacy plays a partial mediating role between their employment stress and mental health. Sixth, the coping style of serves as a moderating role in the process of how employment stress, self-efficacy, and mental health impact each other. By examining the conditions and structural relationships among employment stress, self-efficacy, coping style, and mental health of Chinese college students, this study provides foundational data and reasonable suggestions for alleviating employment stress, enhancing self-efficacy, strengthening coping skills, and thus better alleviating students' psychological pressure and issues.

노인일자리사업 참여만족이 부정적 정신건강 완화에 미치는 영향 연구 : 자아존중감과 사회적 관계의 매개효과

김소희 동방문화대학원대학교 2026 국내박사

본 연구는 노인일자리사업 참여 노인의 참여만족이 부정적 정신건강 완화에 미치는 영향을 분석하고, 이들 간의 관계에서 심리·사회적 요인인 자아존중감과 사회적 관계의 매개효과를 검증하는 데 목적이 있다. 현재 우리나라는 초고령사회 진입에 따른 인구구조 변화 속에서 고령층의 정신건강 악화와 경제적 빈곤, 그리고 이와 연관된 높은 자살률이 사회적 과제로 대두되고 있다. 특히 미취업 노인이 취업 노인에 비해 우울 증상과 가족 내 갈등을 경험하는 비율이 높다는 점은 고령층의 지속적인 사회·경제적 활동 참여가 정신건강 유지에 중요한 역할을 할 수 있음을 시사한다. 이에 정부는 노인의 소득 보전과 사회참여 확대를 위해 노인일자리사업을 지속적으로 확대해 왔으나, 참여 과정에서 형성되는 주관적 경험이 정신건강에 어떠한 영향을 미치는지에 대한 연구는 충분하지 않았다. 기존 연구들 역시 참여 여부나 참여 수준과 같은 양적 지표에 주로 초점을 두어 참여만족이 어떠한 심리·사회적 과정을 통해 정신건강과 연결되는지에 대한 설명은 제한적이었다. 이에 본 연구는 참여만족이라는 주관적 경험이 자아존중감과 사회적 관계를 통해 부정적 정신건강 완화에 미치는 영향을 구조적으로 분석하고, 이를 통해 노인일자리사업의 질적 효과를 보다 구체적으로 이해하고자 하였다. 연구문제는 첫째, 노인일자리사업 참여만족이 부정적 정신건강 완화에 유의한 영향을 미치는가, 둘째, 자아존중감과 사회적 관계가 이들 관계를 매개하는가로 설정하였다. 이를 위해 독립변수인 참여만족은 내용만족도(일자리 내용, 활동 강도, 사회적 기여도), 활용만족도(모집 및 선발, 활동환경, 활동비), 서비스만족도(담당자 태도, 수요처와의 관계, 동료와의 관계)의 3개 영역 9개 항목으로 측정하였다. 매개변수인 자아존중감은 긍정적 자아존중감과 부정적 자아존중감으로 구성하여 측정하였으며, 사회적 관계는 가족·친구·이웃과의 지속적 상호작용 수준으로 측정하였다. 종속변수인 부정적 정신건강은 하위요인을 불안, 우울, 사회적 부적응으로 구성하여 측정하였다. 본 연구는 대한노인회 서울시연합회 일자리사업 참여자와 경기도 베이비부머 공공일자리 참여자 420명을 대상으로 2025년 9월부터 11월까지 설문조사를 실시하였다. 이 중 불성실 응답 및 결측치를 제외한 400부를 최종 분석에 활용하였다. 수집된 자료는 SPSS 26.0과 AMOS 26.0을 활용하여 기술통계, 상관관계 분석, 차이검증(t-test, ANOVA)을 실시하였으며, 구조방정식모형(SEM)을 적용하여 가설을 검증하였다. 또한, 다중매개효과를 보다 명확히 확인하기 위해 팬텀 변인을 설정하고 부트스트래핑 기법을 적용하여 간접효과의 통계적 유의성을 검토하였다. 주요 연구결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 노인일자리사업 참여만족은 참여 노인의 불안, 우울, 사회적 부적응 등 부정적 정신건강을 완화하는 것(=-.134, p=.025)으로 나타났다. 둘째, 참여만족은 사회적 관계(=.191, p=.001)와 자아존중감(=.504, p=.000)에 각각 유의한 정(+)의 영향을 미쳤으며, 향상된 자아존중감(=-.372, p=.000)과 사회적 관계(=-.290, p=.000)는 부정적 정신건강을 완화하는 긍정적인 요인임이 확인되었다. 셋째, 참여만족과 부정적 정신건강 간의 관계에서 사회적 관계와 자아존중감은 통계적으로 유의한 매개효과를 나타냈다. 팬텀 변인을 통해 개별 간접효과를 분석한 결과, 자아존중감 매개경로(B=-.129, p=.002)와 사회적 관계 매개경로(B=-.038, p=.007) 모두 유의한 부분매개효과를 보였다. 또한, 참여만족이 일차적으로 내적 자산인 자아존중감을 높이고, 이를 통해 대인 네트워크인 사회적 관계를 유의하게 향상시켜 최종적으로 부정적 정신건강을 완화하는 참여만족-〉자아존중감-〉사회적 관계-〉부정적 정신건강의 순차적 다중매개 경로가 실증적으로 확인되었다. 구조모형 내 변수들은 고령층의 부정적 정신건강에 대하여 45.7%(SMC=.457)의 높은 통계적 설명력을 보였다. 본 연구는 노인일자리사업 참여만족과 부정적 정신건강 간의 구조적 인과관계를 체계적으로 분석하고, 그 경로에서 자아존중감과 사회적 관계가 지니는 유기적 매개 메케니즘을 실증적으로 규명하였다는 점에서 학술적 의의를 지닌다. 본 연구의 결과는 향후 노인일자리사업의 질적 운영 개선과 고령층의 정신건강 증진을 위한 프로그램 설계 및 복지 정책 수립에 실천적 근거를 제공할 것으로 기대된다. A Study on the Effects of Participation Satisfaction in Senior Employment Programs on Alleviating Negative Mental Health: Mediating Effects of Self-Esteem and Social Relationships The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of participation satisfaction among older adults enrolled in senior employment programs on the alleviation of negative mental health, and to verify the mediating roles of self-esteem and social relationships as key psychosocial factors in this process. South Korea is currently facing significant social challenges, including the deterioration of mental health among older adults, economic poverty, and high suicide rates, amid rapid demographic changes accompanying the transition to a super-aged society. In particular, the finding that unemployed older adults experience higher rates of depressive symptoms and family conflict compared to their employed counterparts suggests that sustained socioeconomic participation may play an important role in maintaining mental health in later life. While the government has continuously expanded senior employment programs to supplement income and promote social participation among older adults, research examining how subjective experiences formed through program participation influence negative mental health has remained insufficient. Prior studies have focused primarily on quantitative indicators such as participation status or level, leaving the psychosocial processes through which participation satisfaction connects to negative mental health outcomes insufficiently explored. This study structurally analyzed the pathways through which participation satisfaction, as a subjective experience, alleviates negative mental health via self-esteem and social relationships, with the aim of developing a more concrete understanding of the qualitative effects of senior employment programs. The research questions were as follows: first, does participation satisfaction in senior employment programs have a significant effect on alleviating negative mental health; and second, do self-esteem and social relationships mediate this relationship. Participation satisfaction, the independent variable, was measured across three domains comprising nine items: content satisfaction (job content, activity intensity, social contribution), utilization satisfaction (recruitment and selection, activity environment, activity allowance), and service satisfaction (staff attitudes, relationships with service recipients, relationships with peers). Self-esteem, the first mediating variable, was assessed by distinguishing between positive and negative dimensions. Social relationships, the second mediating variable, were measured in terms of the level of ongoing interaction with family members, friends, and neighbors. Negative mental health, the dependent variable, was operationalized through three sub-dimensions: anxiety, depression, and social dysfunction. Data were collected through a survey administered between September and November 2025 to 420 participants, comprising enrollees in the Seoul Metropolitan Federation of the Korea Senior Citizens Association's senior employment program and participants in Gyeonggi Province's baby boomer public employment program. After excluding insincere responses and missing values, a final sample of 400 cases was used for analysis. The data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0 and AMOS 26.0, with descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and group difference tests (t-test, ANOVA) conducted as preliminary analyses. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was subsequently applied to test the research hypotheses. To more clearly identify individual indirect effects within the multiple mediation structure, phantom variables were constructed and bootstrapping was employed to assess statistical significance. The main findings are as follows. First, participation satisfaction was found to significantly alleviate negative mental health outcomes among older adults, including anxiety, depression, and social dysfunction (β = -.134, p = .025). Second, participation satisfaction had a significant positive effect on both self-esteem (β = .504, p = .000) and social relationships (β = .191, p = .001), while enhanced self-esteem (β = -.372, p = .000) and improved social relationships (β = -.290, p = .000) were each confirmed as significant protective factors contributing to the alleviation of negative mental health. Third, both self-esteem and social relationships demonstrated statistically significant mediating effects in the relationship between participation satisfaction and negative mental health. Analysis of individual indirect effects using phantom variables revealed significant partial mediation through both the self-esteem pathway (B = -.129, p = .002) and the social relationships pathway (B = -.038, p = .007). Furthermore, a sequential multiple mediation pathway was empirically confirmed, whereby participation satisfaction first enhances self-esteem as an internal psychological asset, which in turn strengthens social relationships as an interpersonal network, ultimately alleviating negative mental health [Participation Satisfaction → Self-Esteem → Social Relationships → Negative Mental Health]. The variables included in the structural model accounted for 45.7% of the variance in negative mental health among older adults (SMC = .457). This study contributes to the field by systematically examining the structural causal relationship between participation satisfaction in senior employment programs and negative mental health, and by empirically verifying the mediating mechanisms of self-esteem and social relationships along this pathway. The findings are expected to provide an evidence-based foundation for designing intervention programs and formulating welfare policies aimed at enhancing the quality of senior employment program operations and promoting mental health among the older adult population.

Essays in Labor and Health Economics

Hou, Claire University of Maryland, College Park ProQuest Diss 2022 해외박사(DDOD)

Chapter 1 investigates the impact of the opioid crisis on the foster care system, motivated by a growing literature suggesting that the opioid crisis has negatively impacted children. This paper builds on prior work by separately identifying the causal effects of parental illicit opioid use and prescription opioid (PO) misuse on foster care entry and caseload after 2010. Two baseline opioid supply measures from 2000, at the onset of the opioid crisis, instrument for post-2010 changes in opioid overdose death rates among adults of prime parenting age. Using county-level mortality data and administrative foster care records, I find that moving from the 10th to the 90th percentile of change in the illicit opioid death rate leads to a 1.1 (2.4) standard deviations larger percent growth in foster care entry (caseload). In contrast, a 10th to 90th percentile difference in the change in PO misuse does not significantly affect total entry or caseload. Female illicit opioid use has larger effects than male illicit opioid use. Effects are similar across child age at the time of removal. Illicit opioid use has similar effects across all placement settings, whereas PO misuse only increases entry to kinship care.Chapter 2 studies how an expansion of public health insurance affects self-employment dynamics. I investigate this question in the context of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid expansion, which made Medicaid available to all non-elderly adults with family income up to 138% of the federal poverty level. By increasing access to health insurance outside of wage employment, expanding Medicaid eligibility could (i) induce some wage workers to become self-employed, and (ii) increase persistence in self-employment for the currently self-employed. Using the 2003-2016 CPS-ASEC linked to respondents' earnings histories from tax returns, I estimate the effect of expanding Medicaid eligibility on the probability of self-employment, wage employment to self-employment transition, and self-employment persistence among childless adults, the group that saw the largest increase in Medicaid eligibility as a result of the expansion. Using difference-in-differences that takes into account pre-ACA cross-county variation in population shares of "at-risk" groups and triple differences, I find suggestive evidence that the expansion of Medicaid eligibility may have increased persistence in self-employment for those with a relatively high valuation of health insurance, but no effects on wage employment to self-employment transitions or self-employment rates. Chapter 3 (with Katharine Abraham, John Haltiwanger, Kristin Sandusky, and James Spletzer) examines the role of self-employment in older workers' transitions to retirement. Self-employment rates rise with age, especially past the age of 50. Using unique integrated survey and administrative data, we find the share of the employed who are primarily self-employed more than doubles from age 47-52 to 65-70 – rising from under 10% to more than 20%. This growth reflects the differential patterns by age of all of the transitions among wage and salary employment, self-employment and non-employment. There is a sharp decline in the likelihood that workers switch from self-employment to wage and salary employment with age, but not the reverse. The share of wage and salary workers who transition to non-employment each year rises more rapidly with age between 53-58 and 65-70 than is the case for the self-employed. Just as important, there is a much sharper decline with age in the pace of transitions from non-employment to wage and salary employment than in the pace of transitions from non-employment to self-employment. The interaction of these changing transition rates, as opposed to simply their individual effects, plays a large role in accounting for the increase in the self-employment rate with age. We investigate how education, cumulative earnings over the prior 20 years, and earnings volatility over the prior 20 years affect these changing transition dynamics by age. We find, for example, that wage and salary workers who are more educated and have higher cumulative earnings are more likely to move to self-employment and less likely to move to non-employment, with both of these effects larger at older ages.

중국 대학생의 심리적 자본과 가족지지가 진로결정 자기효능감을 매개로 취업준비행동에 미치는 구조적 영향 분석

교등우 국민대학교 일반대학원 2025 국내박사

The purpose of this study was to analyze the structural effects of psychological capital and family support on employment preparation behavior among Chinese university students and to verify the mediating effect of career decision-making self-efficacy in this relationship. In addition, this study sought to comprehensively examine the applicability and explanatory scope of the research model by analyzing differences in structural paths according to gender, grade level, and academic major. In recent years, China has experienced a rapid expansion of higher education along with a continuous increase in the number of university graduates. However, the creation of high-quality jobs has not sufficiently kept pace with this expansion. As competition in the youth labor market intensifies and career uncertainty increases, Chinese university students are experiencing growing employment anxiety and psychological burdens. Employment preparation behavior has therefore been discussed not merely as an individual choice but as a phenomenon influenced by both psychological resources and socio-environmental factors. Based on Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), this study conceptualized psychological capital as an individual internal resource, family support as an environmental support factor, career decision-making self-efficacy as a cognitive mediating variable, and employment preparation behavior as a behavioral outcome variable, and empirically examined the structural relationships among these variables. To achieve these objectives, a survey was conducted with 1,200 Chinese university students. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 30.0 and AMOS 30.0. The measurement instruments included scales of psychological capital, family support, career decision-making self-efficacy, and employment preparation behavior. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted to verify the reliability and validity of the instruments. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to examine direct and mediating effects, and the bootstrap method was applied to test the significance of indirect effects. Furthermore, multi-group structural equation analyses were conducted to examine measurement invariance and structural path differences according to gender, grade level, and academic major. The major findings of this study were as follows. First, both psychological capital and family support had significant positive effects on career decision-making self-efficacy. Specifically, students who perceived higher levels of positive psychological resources, such as self-efficacy, hope, optimism, and resilience, and who recognized greater emotional, informational, evaluative, and material support from their families demonstrated higher levels of career decision-making self-efficacy. Second, career decision-making self-efficacy had a significant positive effect on employment preparation behavior. This finding indicates that students with stronger beliefs in their ability to successfully perform career-related tasks participated more actively in various employment preparation activities, including job information searching, career planning, competency development, and actual job application activities. Third, psychological capital and family support exerted not only direct effects on employment preparation behavior but also indirect effects through career decision-making self-efficacy, confirming a partial mediating effect. In other words, individual psychological resources and family environmental support promoted employment preparation behavior by enhancing career decision-making self-efficacy. Fourth, the results of the multi-group structural equation analysis revealed significant differences in several structural paths across gender groups, whereas no significant differences were found across grade-level groups. For academic-major groups, most structural paths were invariant, although a limited difference was identified in the path from psychological capital to employment preparation behavior. This study is academically significant in that it verified the relationships among psychological capital, family support, career decision-making self-efficacy, and employment preparation behavior through an integrated structural model grounded in SCCT. In particular, this study empirically identified the effects of positive psychological resources and family environmental support on the formation of employment preparation behavior among Chinese university students and structurally confirmed the mediating role of career decision-making self-efficacy. Furthermore, by conducting multi-group analyses according to gender, grade level, and academic major, this study extended the explanatory scope of research on university students’ employment preparation behavior by simultaneously examining the applicability of the research model and structural differences across groups. The findings of this study may serve as foundational data for developing university career counseling programs, employment support policies, and student-centered counseling and educational programs. In particular, the results suggest that strengthening psychological capital and establishing family-based support systems should be considered together in order to promote employment preparation behavior among university students. 본 연구의 목적은 중국 대학생의 심리적 자본과 가족지지가 취업준비행동에 미치는 구조적 영향을 분석하고, 이 과정에서 진로결정 자기효능감의 매개효과를 검증하는 데 있다. 또한 성별, 학년 및 전공계열에 따른 집단 간 구조경로 차이를 분석함으로써 연구모형의 적용 가능성과 설명 범위를 종합적으로 검토하고자 하였다. 최근 중국은 고등교육의 급속한 확대와 함께 대학 졸업자 수가 지속적으로 증가하고 있으나, 이에 상응하는 양질의 일자리 창출은 충분히 이루어지지 못하고 있다. 특히 청년층 노동시장의 경쟁 심화와 진로 불확실성 증가는 대학생들의 취업 불안과 심리적 부담을 가중시키고 있으며, 취업준비행동 역시 단순한 개인의 선택 차원을 넘어 심리적 자원과 사회·환경적 요인의 영향을 함께 받는 것으로 논의되고 있다. 이에 본 연구는 사회인지 진로이론(Social Cognitive Career Theory: SCCT)을 이론적 기반으로 설정하고, 심리적 자본을 개인의 내적 자원, 가족지지를 환경적 지원 요인, 진로결정 자기효능감을 인지적 매개요인, 취업준비행동을 행동 결과 변인으로 설정하여 변인 간 구조적 관계를 실증적으로 검증하였다. 이를 위하여 중국 대학생 1,200명을 대상으로 설문조사를 실시하였으며, 수집된 자료는 SPSS 30.0과 AMOS 30.0 프로그램을 활용하여 분석하였다. 측정도구는 심리적 자본, 가족지지, 진로결정 자기효능감, 취업준비행동 척도를 사용하였으며, 탐색적 요인분석(EFA)과 확인적 요인분석(CFA)을 실시하여 측정도구의 신뢰도와 타당도를 검증하였다. 또한 구조방정식모형 Structural Equation Modeling: SEM)을 활용하여 직접효과와 매개효과를 분석하였으며, Bootstrap 방법을 적용하여 간접효과의 유의성을 검증하였다. 아울러 성별, 학년 및 전공계열에 따른 측정동일성과 구조경로 차이를 검증하기 위하여 다집단 구조방정식 분석을 실시하였다. 연구 결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 심리적 자본과 가족지지는 모두 진로결정 자기효능감에 유의한 정적 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다. 즉, 자기효능감, 희망, 낙관성 및 회복탄력성과 같은 긍정적 심리자원을 높게 지각할수록, 그리고 가족으로부터 정서적·정보적·평가적·물질적 지원을 높게 인식할수록 대학생의 진로결정 자기효능감 수준이 높아지는 것으로 확인되었다. 둘째, 진로결정 자기효능감은 취업준비행동에 유의한 정적 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다. 이는 자신의 진로 관련 과제를 성공적으로 수행할 수 있다는 신념이 높을수록 취업정보 탐색, 진로계획 수립, 역량 개발 및 실제 지원 활동 등 다양한 취업준비행동에 보다 적극적으로 참여함을 의미한다. 셋째, 심리적 자본과 가족지지는 취업준비행동에 직접적인 영향을 미치는 동시에, 진로결정 자기효능감을 매개로 간접적인 영향도 미치는 것으로 나타나 부분매개효과가 확인되었다. 즉, 개인의 심리적 자원과 가족의 환경적 지원은 진로결정 자기효능감을 강화함으로써 취업준비행동을 촉진하는 것으로 나타났다. 넷째, 다집단 구조방정식 분석 결과 성별 집단에서는 일부 구조경로에서 유의한 차이가 나타났으며, 학년 집단에서는 유의한 차이가 확인되지 않았다. 전공계열 집단에서는 대부분의 구조경로가 동일하게 유지되었으나, 심리적 자본이 취업준비행동에 미치는 경로에서 제한적인 차이가 확인되었다. 본 연구는 심리적 자본, 가족지지, 진로결정 자기효능감 및 취업준비행동 간의 관계를 사회인지 진로이론(SCCT)에 근거한 통합적 구조모형으로 검증하였다는 점에서 학술적 의의를 지닌다. 특히 중국 대학생을 대상으로 개인의 긍정적 심리자원과 가족의 환경적 지원이 취업준비행동 형성 과정에 미치는 영향을 실증적으로 규명하였으며, 진로결정 자기효능감의 매개적 역할을 구조적으로 확인하였다는 점에서 의의가 있다. 또한 성별, 학년 및 전공계열에 따른 다집단 분석을 통해 연구모형의 집단 간 적용 가능성과 구조적 차이를 함께 검토함으로써 대학생 취업준비행동 연구의 설명 범위를 확장하였다. 본 연구 결과는 대학의 진로상담 프로그램, 취업지원 정책, 학생 맞춤형 상담 및 교육 프로그램 개발을 위한 기초자료로 활용될 수 있으며, 대학생의 취업준비행동을 촉진하기 위해서는 심리적 자본 강화와 가족 기반 지원 체계를 함께 고려할 필요가 있음을 시사한다.

Regional Differences in Self-employment in Korea: A Multiple Time Series Analysis (1996-2019)

장연주 서울대학교 대학원 2025 국내석사

This study empirically examines the key factors influencing the regional self-employment rate and the number of self-employed individuals using data from 16 provinces in Korea. For the analysis, the study builds an empirical model based on Knight's income choice theory, expanding it by incorporating variables that capture access to both the wage labor and self-employment sectors for a more comprehensive analysis. The empirical findings show that regional average wages and firm size are negatively correlated with self-employment variables, and these relationships are statistically significant in most cases. Also, the unemployment rate shows a positive relationship with self-employment. However, the signs of two regressors—the number of companies and the lagged self-employment variables—vary across models. In summary, the results suggest that regional self-employment in Korea is generally negatively linked to the wage labor sector, indicating that wage employment and self-employment may function as substitutes in the Korean context. 본 연구는 한국의 16개 시도별 지역자료를 활용하여 국내 지역별 자영업 비중 및 자영업자 수에 영향을 미치는 주요 요인들을 실증적으로 분석하였다. 연구는 기업형성이론인 Knight(1921)의 소득 선택 이론에 기반한 실증모델을 구축하고, 임금 노동과 자영업 부문에 대한 접근성을 포착하는 변수를 포함하여 보다 포괄적인 분석을 시도하였다. 실증 분석 결과, 지역의 평균임금과 기업 규모는 지역 자영업 변수와 대체로 음의 관계를 보였으며, 이러한 계수 추정치는 대부분 통계적으로 유의했다. 반면, 실업률은 자영업 변수와 양의 상관관계를 나타냈다. 그러나, 지역 내 총기업 수와 1기 이전의 자영업 변수는 모형에 따라 부호가 다르게 추정되었다. 요약하면, 한국의 시도별 데이터 분석 결과 국내 자영업 비중 및 자영업자 수는 전반적으로 임금 노동 부문과 음의 관계에 있음을 보여준다. 이는, 임금노동 부문과 자영업 부문이 한국에서 일반적으로 대체재로 작용할 수 있음을 시사한다.

Characteristics of Self-employed Women in Paraguay : A focus on personal, familial, and sociocultural factors

김지희 경희대학교 대학원 2023 국내석사

This study examined the personal, familial, and social characteristics of self-employed women in Paraguay to understand Paraguayan women and their role in society. This study included an analysis of self-employed workers, which was broken down into two smaller categories (regular employers and own-account workers) according to the International Labour Organization (ILO), which is used as the national definition to express the current situation in Paraguay. Additionally, this study counted family members who are not paid salaries while working in family businesses or at home as unemployed workers, while those who are paid salaries counted as paid workers. This study used the most update 2008 National Survey of Demography and Reproductive and Sexual Health, which was conducted by Paraguayan Center of Population Studies (CEPEP) to analyze the conditions which surround Paraguayan women. In total, 6,540 women responded to this national survey in the years leading up to 2008. Furthermore, this study was analyzed using ANOVA, which is used to interpret data samples such as personal, familial, or sociocultural factors. The results of this study concluded that self-employed women are more likely to live in urban areas than unemployed women and are older than paid workers. Equally important, the education level and socio-economic level of self-employed women was lower than paid workers and higher than unemployed workers. Furthermore, self-employed women were more likely to be married or co-habiting. In addition, the education level of the husbands of the self-employed women was lower than that of the paid workers’ husbands. In contrast, the education level of the husbands of self-employed women was higher than that of the husbands of unemployed women. Additionally, self-employed women had more children than other two groups (paid workers and unemployed workers). Lastly, the gender role awareness of self-employed women was less traditional than that of unemployed workers but more traditional than that of paid workers.

저소득 여성가구주의 경제적 자활 정도에 영향을 미치는 요인에 관한 연구 : 성동구 저소득 여성가구주를 중심으로

안종순 연세대학교 대학원 2001 국내석사

본 연구는 성동구의 근로능력이 있는 저소득 여성가구주 500세대 가운데 전화면접에 응한 국민기초생활보장 수급자 80가구와 법정 모자가정 40가구의 응답자 총 120 사례를 분석대상으로 자활보호 대상자인 저소득 여성가구주의 순수한 근로활동과 근로소득에 초점을 두고 그들의 경제적 자활 정도에 영향을 미치는 요인을 밝히고자 하였다. 본 연구의 독립변수 측정을 위해서는 생태체계적 관점에서 개인체계, 가족체계, 사회체계로 구분하여 먼저, 개인체계 변인으로는 인적자본특성과 자활의지로 설정하였고, 가족체계 변인은 부양가족 수, 미취학자녀 수, 취학자녀 수, 그리고 만성질환자나 장애가족여부로 설정하였으며, 마지막으로 사회체계 변인으로는 공식적 자활지원프로그램 수급여부 및 비공식적 경제적 지원 정도로 설정하였다. 또한, 종속변수의 측정을 위해서, 취업과 근로소득 및 최저임금이상의 근로소득의 하위 차원 변수들을 중심으로 경제적 자활정도를 측정하였다. 본 연구의 실증분석을 위해 두 가지 분석모델로 접근하였는데, 저소득 여성가구주의 취업여부와 최저임금이상의 근로소득 여부에 대한 로지스틱 회귀분석 모델과 근로소득이 있는 여성가구주를 대상으로 월 평균 근로소득에 대한 중다회귀분석이 그것이다. 본 연구의 분석결과는 다음과 같이 요약될 수 있다. 첫째, 분석결과 전체를 종합적으로 볼 때, 인적자본능력의 하나인 건강상태와 자활의지의 개인체계 변인이 가족체계 변인보다는 저소득 여성가구주의 근로소득과 취업에 가장 큰 영향을 미치는 요인인 것으로 결론지을 수 있다. 여기서, 가족체계 변인의 부양가족 수, 미취학자녀 수, 취학자녀 수의 적고 많음과 만성질환자나 장애가족 여부에 따른 부양부담이 여성가구주의 근로소득 정도에 영향을 준다는 증거는 발견할 수 없었다. 그리고, 분석모델 전체에서, 사회체계 요인의 생업자금융자, 공공근로, 직업훈련, 그리고 자활후견기관사업과 같은 자활지원프로그램들은 통계적으로 유의미한 정적인 영향력이 있는 것으로 확인되지 않았다. 둘째, 자활보호 대상자인 저소득 여성가구주의 순수한 근로활동과 근로소득과 관련해서는 생계급여를 지원 받는 여성가구주의 상당수가 근로활동을 하고 있다는 연구결과, 즉 국민기초생활보장 수급자 80명 중 57명이 취업상태에 있었다는 점과, 이들의 42명 정도가 최저임금이상의 근로소득자라는 조사결과를 얻었다. 그리고, 상용직, 임시직, 일용직, 자영업, 공공근로, 등의 고용형태 가운데 일용직 근로자가 공공근로나 취로사업에 비해 최저임금이하의 근로소득자가 될 가능성이 높은 것으로 나타났다. 결국, 저소득 여성가구주의 건강상태가 좋을수록, 자활의지가 높을수록 경제적 자활정도가 높으며, 생계급여 수급 자체가 여성가구주의 근로활동에 큰 장애가 될 수 없으며, 생업자금융자, 공공근로, 직업훈련, 그리고 자활후견기관사업과 같은 자활지원프로그램들은 여성가구주의 경제적 자활 지원에 효율적으로 기능하고 있지 못하는 것으로 평가된다. 본 연구결과를 토대로 다음의 세 가지 정책적 함의를 제시하였다. 첫째, 건강상태와 자활의지가 여성가구주의 경제적 자활에 중요한 요인임이 본 연구에서 확인된 바, 여성가구주의 근로활동능력 유지를 위해 그들의 건강에 대한 지속적, 전문적 의료지원서비스가 강화되어야 하며 자활의지를 고취시키기 위한 정서적 자활프로그램 개발이 시급하다. 저소득 여성가구주의 정서적 자활은 자녀들의 문제나 가족간의 갈등, 여성가구주 본인들 과거의 고통스러운 삶에 대한 절망감, 그리고 혼자 사는 여성으로서 사회적으로 받는 심리적 압박감 등에 따라 영향을 받을 수 있다. 따라서, 저소득 여성가구주의 자활의지 고취를 위해서는 가족문제 및 정신건강에 대한 상담 프로그램이 현행 근로의욕고취 프로그램에 병행하여 제공되어야 한다. 둘째, 사회정책적으로 법적 보호를 받는 저소득 모자가정의 경제적 자활의 정도를 어디까지 지원할 것인가에 대해서는 생계급여를 지원 받는 여성가구주의 상당수가 근로활동을 하고 있다는 점과 국민기초생활보장 수급자 가운데 절반 정도가 최저임금이상의 근로소득자라는 조사결과에 주목해 볼 때, 여성가구주의 경제적 자활을 위해서는 취업활동 유지와 근로소득 향상에 주력함과 동시에, 적어도 최저임금 이상의 수입이 있는 근로활동이 가능하도록 하는 제반 서비스를 제공하는 정도의 사회 정책적 개입이 필요하다. 셋째, 생업자금융자, 공공근로, 직업훈련, 그리고 자활후견기관사업과 같은 자활지원 프로그램들은 여성가구주의 경제적 자활 지원에 큰 도움이 되지 못하고 있다는 분석결과는 현행 자활지원 프로그램들에 대한 문제를 제기하는 것이다. 생산적 복지정책의 효율적 시행을 위해서는 자활사업에 있어서 구직활동 중심과 조기 취업 우선의 노동시장 연결 모델과 교육과 훈련을 중심으로 장기적 자활효과를 목적하는 인적자본개발 모델의 적절한 혼합 형태의 프로그램들이 집중적으로 육성될 필요가 있다. 즉, 고품질의 단기적인 기초교육과 직업훈련을 집중적으로 실시하여 비교적 양호한 일자리를 얻게 하며, 구직활동, 교육, 직업훈련, 근로경험 등을 해당 지역의 노동시장 상황에 맞춰 다양하게 혼합하여 실시할 필요가 있다. 또한, 인간자본의 효과를 높이기 위해 고용주와의 긴밀한 협조관계 속에서 고용주가 원하는 기능교육을 실시하여 교육의 종결과 함께 취업하는 일관체제를 구축하는 것이 우리 나라 자활사업프로그램의 효과성 제고를 위한 적절한 방안이 될 것이다. The Focus of this Study is to analyze the factors that affect low income-single mothers' self-sufficiency under the public assistance program with their pure work and income activity by using total 120 cases of respondents to the telephone interview. This study classifies independent variables into an individual system, a family system, and a social system by using the biosystematic viewpoint to measure the independent variables. The independent variables are 1) human capital characteristics and the willingness of self-sufficiency for the individual system, 2) the number of dependent family- school children- preschooler and whether they have chronic disease d?disabled people or not for the family system, 3) whether they have been supported by nonpublic economical aid and public assistance program or not for the social system. The dependent variable, the level of the economical self-sufficiency is measured by the employment and an earned income; 1) employment probability, 2) the level of the earned income, 3) whether the earned income is more than the minimum wage or not. For the empirical analysis, the analytic approach is two-folded; one is Logistic Regression model for the low-income single mothers' employment probability and whether the earned income is more than the official minimum wage or not: the other is Mutiple Regression model for the level of the single mother's earned income. The result of this research can be summarized as the followings; First, the health status among human capitals and the willingness of self-sufficiency were the most influential factors to the earned income and employment of low income mothers. Here this study couldn't find the proof that the number of the dependent family- school children- preschooler and whether they have chronic diseased- the disabled people or not, affected the level of the earned income. In addition, the public assistance programs like livelihood financing, public job service, job training program, and the Self-Sufficiency Support Center(SSSC) are not appeared to have the statistically positive effect on the single mothers' economical self-sufficiency. Second, regarding to the low-income single mothers' pure work activity and earned income under legal protection, this study found that most of welfare recipients were working though, that is, 57 of 80 welfare recipients under the public benefit program were employed and about the half of the recipients earned more than the official minimum wage. Additionally, day time job of the employment types among full time job, temporary job, day time job, self-employment, public job, and so on had lower probability than the public jobs to be a earner more than the minimum wage. Finally, as mentioned above, the most decisive influence on the low-income single mothers' self-sufficiency was their health and the willingness of self-sufficiency. But the public benefit itself could be a big barrier to work, and the public assistance program for the welfare recipients' self-sufficiency were not efficient. Here are three policy implications based on the research results presented above; first, to maintain low-income single mothers' labor capital, the medical care service for them should be reenforced to the medical insurance and developed mental health programs including inspiring the willingness of self-sufficiency. Actually, their mental and economical self-sufficiency can be related with the causes of children problem, family troubles, and their own hopelessness resulted in the past painful life, and the psychological stress from the social bias. Second, most of welfare recipients under the public benefit program were employed and about the half of the recipients earned more than the official minimum wage Therefore, social policy intervention should be concentrated for maintaining the single mothers' work activity and improving their earned income, and at the same time, should be facilitated with providing the related services at least enough for insuring the income more than the official minimum wage. Third, the results of public assistance programs mentioned above raised an issue of inefficiency in the policy and the service system. For the efficient welfare-to-work policy, the self-sufficiency support programs should be concentrated on the mixed forms of programs with work-oriented and outcome-oriented Labor Force Attachment program and Human Capital Development program requiring the long-term investment in human capital. Most of all, to improve the efficiency of the human capital development program it's necessary to set up the consistent system of getting a job in the same time completing education by giving the job training which employers want, under the close collaboration relationship with the employers. This could be a more effective scheme in the long term perspective.