Half of young people ‘fear for job prospects’ due to pandemic, study reveals

According to a new report by researchers at University College London (UCL), 53 per cent of young people think their career prospects are worsening.

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The briefing paper, published by the UCL Institute of Education, analysed data from 1,000 young people in the UK who were interviewed between 5 and 12 February.

The findings also show that 44 per cent of 16- to 25-year-olds, particularly those who were in education, report that their ability to learn skills useful for the workplace had worsened as a result of the pandemic. 

Researchers suggest this may be because they have had fewer opportunities to pick up skills that would be needed in the workplace.

Lead author, Professor Francis Green, from the UCL Centre for Research on Learning and Life Chances, said: “The survey shows that the pandemic has had an effect on how young people see their future as well as their present state of well-being. Coming into direct contact with Covid-19 themselves, or among their family and close friends, has failed to dent their optimism or life satisfaction. But those who perceived a detrimental effect on their job skills development due to the pandemic were less optimistic about their chances of finding a well-paid and enjoyable job, and had lower satisfaction with life.”  

The report also found that 58 per cent of those who remained in education thought that their learning had worsened, compared with just four per cent who thought that their learning experience was improved.

A further 60 per cent felt less connected with friends and family while around 50 per cent felt “less useful and less optimistic about the future”.

Three in five respondents said they felt more worried, anxious and depressed than before the pandemic. 

“Young women collectively experienced relatively greater negative effects on their wellbeing than young men. Well-being was also disproportionately worsened among all young people who were struggling financially before the pandemic,” Green added.

The survey data used in the study was collected by Ipsos MORI. The research is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) as part of UK Research and Innovation’s rapid response to Covid-19.