Significance as component of meaning in career narratives of unemployed graduates

Youth unemployment is a continuing concern in South Africa, and, in the context of growing economic volatility, an increasing number of young adult graduates will find themselves without work. Given the negative effect of unemployment on psychological well-being, research is required to enhance insight into how unemployed graduates can negotiate times of unemployment. Although multiple studies have investigated the influence of unemployment on hedonic well-being, less research is available on how eudaimonic well-being is impacted by unemployment. Significance is a component of meaning, and refers to a sense of mattering in one’s social context. The aim of the current study was to explore how young adult graduates experience a sense of significance during unemployment. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to gain insights into participants’ career narrative, which were then analysed to find meaning plots that relate to significance. The results showed that threads of significance are present throughout the participant’s career narratives, and that the lack of significance during unemployment resulted in great distress, but also a need to restore significance. The value of the study lies in uncovering significance as an important resource during unemployment, which could be a focal point to address in psychological interventions.