Crisis Socioeconómica y estrés percibido por el autoempleo en el Ecuador

Abstract

The socioeconomic crisis in Ecuador has driven a portion of the population to turn to self-employment as an alternative to the decline in formal employment. This research aimed to determine the levels of perceived stress among self-employed workers in the canton of Santa Rosa and compare them with those of employed individuals. A quantitative, descriptive-correlational, and cross-sectional approach was applied with a sample of 50 individuals from both the formal and informal sectors. Data were collected using a digital questionnaire based on the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14), and the results were analyzed using nonparametric tests. The findings show moderate levels of stress in both occupational groups, with no significant differences according to employment type. This consistent pattern suggests that employment type is not, in and of itself, a determining factor in perceived stress within the context analyzed. Consequently, there is a need to consider other personal and structural variables, such as socioeconomic conditions or educational level, which could have a greater impact on the experience of stress. For future studies, it is recommended to expand the sample size and incorporate a mixed methodological approach to more precisely identify the factors that affect emotional management in contexts of job insecurity.