Revalidation of an ultra-short scale for the measurement of perceived job security in Latin America

Abstract

Introduction Due to the measures imposed by governments to reduce the spread of this new virus, the economic sector was one of the most affected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Several labor sectors had to undergo a virtual adaptation process resulting in job instability and job loss. The objective of this study was to revalidate an ultra-short scale for measuring perceived job security in Latin America. Methods A revalidation study was done on a short scale that measures worker’s perceived security about losing or keeping their job in the near future. Results The four items remained on the revalidated scale, where all four explained a single factor. The goodness-of-fit measures confirmed the single-factor model (χ2: 7.06; df: 2; p = 0.29; mean square error: 0.015; goodness-of-fit index: 0.998; adjusted goodness-of-fit index: 0.991; comparative fit index: 0.999; Tucker-Lewis index: 0.997; normalized fit index: 0.998; incremental fit index: 0.999; and root mean square error of approximation: 0.036). The scale’s reliability was calculated using McDonald’s omega coefficient, obtaining an overall result of ω = 0.72. Conclusions The scale was correctly revalidated in Latin America, and the four items were kept in a single reliable factor.