The potential consequences of employee job loss due to hospital closure

Survey results from 772 randomly selected employees at three state mental hospitals in Missouri are used to estimate the potential consequences of job loss that would occur if one of these hospitals closed. Especially for older, female, less skilled, and less educated groups of employees, the magnitude of potential economic, residential relocation, and stress related consequences is likely to be high if suitable reemployment cannot be found. However, the literature on manufacturing plant and mental hospital closings identifies these same groups as having the most unfavorable reemployment chances. Thus, those at risk to experience the most severe consequences also have the lowest chances of escaping them. A discussion of the implications of these findings for the actions of hospital leaders concludes this report.