The Experience of Involuntary Unemployment of Ex-Workers from Viana Do Castelo Shipyard: Recommendations for Social Policy

Abstract

Today, the unemployment is an unavoidable reality, particularly in contemporary western societies. Its consequences tend to be negative and, in the case of individuals aged 55 and over, particularly severe. In order to understand the experience of involuntary unemployment of a group of former workers from the Viana do Castelo Shipyards (Portugal), taking into account this specific socio-economic and territorial context, a mixed study was conducted which included 115 questionnaire surveys and 10 semi-structured interviews. The results showed a diversity of individual and professional trajectories, and the Age factor seems to be associated with the most adverse effects, both regarding the experience of unemployment and the probability of reentry into the labor market. From the Social Policy perspective, this evidence suggests the need for policies that contribute to a greater equity in the management of the unemployment.