Perceptions and Concerns about Future Labor Market Insertion among Psychology Students: A Thematic Analysis

Abstract

Aims: The study aims to analyse the perceptions and worries of psychology students regarding their future labour market insertion, considering the structural conditions of the professional field and the socioeconomic context of Mexico. Study Design: Qualitative study with a descriptive-interpretive design and a cross-sectional approach. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at the Complejo Regional Nororiental of the Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP), in the municipality of Teziutlán, Puebla, Mexico, during October 2025 (autumn semester). Methodology: Five focus groups were conducted with seventh-semester undergraduate psychology students (n = 32). The information was analysed through Reflexive Thematic Analysis, using a process of open and selective coding. Results: The analysis identified two central categories. The first, perceptions of the structural and economic conditions of the job market, groups together access and credentialing barriers, anticipated economic precarity, and the social and institutional devaluation of the profession. The second, coping strategies in the face of professional uncertainty, groups together uncertainty as the dominant emotion, the diversification of income sources, and adaptability as a response to a changing job market. The results show that these perceptions and worries form a diverse and, at times, contrasting set of positions in which students actively negotiate between their professional aspirations, the structural conditions they perceive, and the coping resources available to them. Conclusion: Labour market uncertainty, far from being paralysing, coexists with active vocational agency. This points to the need for psychology training programmes, particularly in regions outside the country's main urban centres, to explicitly incorporate the development of career adaptability resources —financial planning, guidance on the regional job market, or professional diversification strategies— as part of their students' professional preparation.