Development and Validation of the Satisfaction With Labor Market Participation Survey

Employment is often assumed to be the universally desirable outcome in vocational counseling and research; however, many personal and environmental factors affect individual decisions about the costs and benefits of work and the amount of work that is desired. The objective of this study was to validate an instrument capturing satisfaction with labor market participation regardless of one’s employment status. The Satisfaction with Labor Market Participation Survey (SLMP) was administered at two points in time to adults with disabilities. Analyses included a combination of exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. A nine-item, two-factor scale emerged from the exploratory factor analysis and was supported by confirmatory factor analysis. All correlations were in the expected direction, and regression analysis with both the SLMP and employment status showed the SLMP significantly predicting satisfaction with life while employment status did not after controlling for the SLMP. Preliminary data support the SLMP as a reliable and valid tool for assessing satisfaction with labor market participation for use with people with disabilities in vocational counseling and employment research.