Perceived Employability, Career Adaptability, and Social Support: A Quantitative Study among University Students in Thailand

In an increasingly competitive and uncertain global labor market, understanding the psychological and social determinants of students’ employability is essential. This quantitative study investigates the relationship between perceived employability, career adaptability, and social support among university students in Thailand. Drawing upon Career Construction Theory and Social Cognitive Career Theory, the research explores how individual adaptability and external support systems jointly shape students’ confidence in securing employment. Data were collected through a structured survey of 350 undergraduate students from both public and private universities across Thailand. The most important constructs were evaluated using validated scales including Self-Perceived Employability Scale, 2) Career Adapt-Abilities Scale (CAAS) and 3) Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). Pearson correlation and multiple regression analyses results indicated that career adaptability as well as social support is a significant predictor of the perceived employability but career adaptability was found to be the strongest predictor. Subsequent examination of the relationship among career adaptability, and perceived employability employing the PROCESS macro confirmed that social support partially mediates and moderates the relationship between career adaptability and perceived employability. The results have shown the essentiality of psychological preparedness and favorable spaces by influencing the discernment of employability. This research presents valuable implications to the Thai higher educational institutions advancing that a set of adaptability skills and favorable networks can increase current students’ confidence on their careers significantly. It also adds to body of literature on employability, in the sense that it locates these constructs in a Southeast Asian, collectivist culture. It would be prudent to note that future research ought to take into consideration longitudinal and comparative researches to further validate this finding.