Comparison of perceived employment barriers among low-income jobseekers in the United States and South Korea

The Perceived Employment Barrier Scale (PEBS) has been validated as a tool to assess low-income individuals’ level of employment barriers in the United States. Using samples from workforce development programs in the United States and South Korea, this study aims to examine the comparability of this measure and to compare score differences on the five factors of PEBS between the two samples. Evidence for cross-sample equivalence was found, indicating cross-national comparability. Furthermore, the South Korean sample perceived significantly higher on human capital barriers compared to the United States. Implications for workforce development practice and research in the United States and South Korea are discussed.