THE INFLUENCE OF WORK STRESS AND SOCIAL SUPPORT ON WORK-LIFE BALANCE AMONG WORKING-CLASS STUDENTS

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the influence of work stress and social support on work- life balance among working-class students. In the modern era characterized by high work demands and rapid educational development, students who work face a dual burden between professional and academic responsibilities. Such conditions often lead to work stress, which negatively affects the balance between personal and professional life. Conversely, social support from family, friends, colleagues, and the academic environment plays a crucial role in helping individuals manage stress and maintain their life balance. This research adopts a quantitative approach using a survey method by distributing online questionnaires to 101 respondents from the working-class student population. The sampling technique applied the Slovin formula, and the data analysis was conducted through simple and multiple linear regression using SPSS version 27. The findings indicate that work stress has a negative and significant impact on work-life balance, meaning that the higher the level of work stress, the lower the balance in students’ lives. Meanwhile, social support positively and significantly influences work-life balance, indicating that the greater the social support received, the better the individual’s life balance. Simultaneously, work stress and social support contribute 23% to the variation in work-life balance, while the remaining 77% is influenced by other factors such as time management, self-motivation, and work conditions. These results emphasize the importance of stress management and the strengthening of social support for working-class students to maintain harmony between their professional, academic, and personal lives.