How job stressors and economic stressors impact public transport drivers’ performance and well-being under the health risk of the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction: During the COVID-19 pandemic, public transport (e.g., bus and taxi) drivers encountered great stress because they needed to work to maintain the operation of the transportation system. This study proposes and empirically investigates the impacts of job stressors and economic stressors of public transport drivers on emotional exhaustion, and subsequent psychological well-being and performance under the health risk of COVID-19. The moderating effects of perceived threat and death anxiety on the relationships between stressors and emotional exhaustion are also examined. Method and Results: Using two survey samples collected from bus and taxi drivers in Taiwan, the results reveal that, except for the effect of time pressure on taxi drivers’ exhaustion, job stressors (job overload and time pressure) and economic stressors (job insecurity) positively relate to emotional exhaustion for both bus and taxi drivers. Drivers’ emotional exhaustion has negative effects on both job satisfaction and positive effects on risky driving behaviors. Perceived pandemic threat strengthens the positive influence of job insecurity on emotional exhaustion for bus drivers, while perceived pandemic threat and death anxiety weaken the negative influence of job insecurity on emotional exhaustion for taxi drivers. Practical Applications: Effective intervention strategies and policies to mitigate perceived pandemic threat and death anxiety of drivers are recommended.