Corona consequences: youth unemployment has risen worldwide

The consequences of the pandemic are far-reaching: the German economy alone experienced the worst recession in post-war history in 2020. Although the Federal Employment Agency has been able to prevent worse mass layoffs through the massive use of short-time work, this applies above all to people who have already been in an employment relationship. It was more difficult for school leavers and university leavers who were unable to get any training or career entry positions due to the savings plans in companies. Young people around the world have had a particularly difficult time. The term “generation lockdown” is firmly established and summarizes who is severely affected in the job.

Due to the pandemic, many young people have lost their jobs or have not even managed to start their careers. This is shown by one from the International Labor Organization commissioned study from the University of Cambridge. The researchers examined the data from 132 countries. From a global perspective, one sixth of those entering the profession are likely to have lost their job as a result of the pandemic, according to the researchers. This is mainly due to the fact that 40 percent of young people are employed in sectors that are particularly hard hit, such as tourism, gastronomy and retail. Tourism alone recorded financial losses eleven times greater than in the 2008 financial crash.

“Young people face special challenges.”

Global youth employment therefore fell more than twice as much in 2020 as the employment values ​​of older adults. The researchers cite 8.7 percent versus 3.7 percent, with unemployment particularly concentrated in young women in middle-income countries. The global employment rate of them fell by five percent last year, compared with 3.9 percent for men. What all those affected have in common is that normal, in any case moderately effective, labor market policy measures often had no effect and politicians in many countries paid little or no attention to them, according to the Cambridge study.

More urgently needs to be done for the “Generation Lockdown”. The researchers speak of quick measures such as individual advice for job seekers, professional training and the promotion of mental health. The latter in particular is considered a dark spot in all labor market studies. It is true that we know how many young people are affected by unemployment and short-time work, but how they feel about it is usually not dealt with in the statistics. According to a Forsa survey On behalf of the KKH commercial health insurance, almost 40 percent of young adults in Germany report symptoms of depression.

“New school leavers are often not entitled to unemployment benefits or short-time working rules. This meant that many young people fell through the grid of political intervention, ”said Cambridge sociologist Adam Coutts on the global situation. Even if many countries have improved the relevant regulations, the situation of young people has often barely improved. Only in a few countries did politicians react with measures that were really tailored to the needs of young adults. But even with the pandemic approaching, the situation would remain difficult if politicians did not make efforts to improve, the researcher said.

“Young people face particular challenges that put them at a disadvantage compared to older adults when looking for work after the pandemic,” warns Adam Coutts. They lack work experience, they also have fewer financial resources and poorer professional networks to cushion the disadvantages on their own. This is why this age group will be much more likely to be forced to either accept poor working conditions or, in the worst case, run the risk of slipping into long-term unemployment. The Cambridge study warns that the “generation lockdown” must not become a lost generation.