Work commitment among unemployed youth in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Tianjin

Work commitment is a way for unemployed youth to engage in employment. In turn, factors leading to work commitment are unclear, particularly in view of the possible variability of the factors across cities. Hong Kong, Shanghai and Tianjin are three Chinese cities for the present study to address the variability. Surveys of 676 unemployed youths in the three cities supplied data for the study. Results unfolded that although the experience of powerlessness and persistent unemployment seemed to discourage work commitment generally, they were less detrimental in Shanghai. Similarly, while education and work skill appeared to contribute to work commitment generally, they were significant only in Tianjin. The results imply that promotion of unemployed youth's work commitment needs to be adaptive to the conditions of the city. For one, human capital development would be an effective means to promote work commitment in Tianjin but not in Shanghai. For the other, reducing social exclusion against the unemployed youth's underclass status would be helpful particularly in Hong Kong. © 2012 Taylor & Francis.