RT Article
T1 Relative Labor Market Utility Perceptions and Offending: A Rational Choice Perspective on the Benefits of Licit and Illicit Work
JF Crime & delinquency
VO 71
IS 9
SP 3032
OP 3061
A1 Jaynes, Chae M.
LA English
YR 2025
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1931345252
AB This study evaluates the relationship between relative employment perceptions within licit and illicit markets and offending. Relative labor market utility (RLMU) accounts for the importance and perceived quality of work characteristics within each market. Ordered-logistic regression models evaluate the association between RLMU and willingness to commit crime amongst a nationwide (U.S.) sample. Analyses also consider mean differences in work characteristics’ importance and relative quality to identify which characteristics most incentivize crime. Findings suggest that RLMU is negatively associated with offending and improves upon a precedent measure. Several work characteristics also more strongly incentivize offending. Those interested in reducing crime through employment should focus on improving RLMU perceptions. Suggestions for doing this in practice and recommendations for future research are provided.
K1 Rational Choice
K1 Offending
K1 Labor Market
K1 Work
K1 Employment
K1 job quality
DO 10.1177/00111287241258733