Youth Unemployment - The Facts

The latest employment figures show that youth unemployment has not yet reached the 1 million mark as many had predicted, but on long-term youth unemployment (spending six months or more out of work) it turns out original estimates were far too conservative. At over 400,000, the rate has already exceeded some analysts' predictions for the end of 2011.

Young people taking up to six months to find work is not unusual – they are more likely to hold out for the right job, are less mobile and less used to searching for work than older people. But a spell of unemployment of one year or more can mean earning 12 to 15% less 20 years later and as the economist David Blanchflower has shown it can also mean lower happiness levels in later years. In contrast, a spell of unemployment at age 33 has no impact on later levels of happiness.

In cutting Labour's Future Jobs Fund – which guaranteed a job to any young person out of work for more than a year and would have provided 200,000 real (if temporary) jobs – the coalition has placed all its faith in its employment support scheme, the Work Programme. This will offer young people out of work for six months or more support to write a CV and practise interview skills; but the vast majority of unemployed young people don't need help looking for jobs – many will have left school more qualified than their parents' generation did – they need work.

Youth unemployment is a long-term, structural problem that is not endemic to the UK. It is also causing social unrest in Greece, Tunisia and France, to name just a few countries and this is leading to calls for a global fight against youth unemployment. But the UK's approach of sitting back and waiting for growth is not adequate for the crisis situation this is rapidly becoming.

Are you passionate about youth.................your comments please
 

Posted by Steven Hunter on 05 April 2011 in : KDS Training, KDS Youth Training

5 Comments

Posted by Val Dowens on 07 April 2011

It is crucial to address youth unemployment as the youth are the future...and the circle of life is heavily influenced in youth..positivity in youth is essential for a happy life, having meaningful work and purpose assists in creating and developing positivity..Stevie''s contribution to this is awe inspiring..

Posted by Lorraine Hart on 05 April 2011

A very interesting and factual blog. It just reinforces what a tremendous job is being done by KDS to tackle this issue which is not just affecting the UK but many other countries.

Posted by Edmund McKay on 05 April 2011

An unemployed 23-year-old man is likely to earn 15.4% less aged 42 than a similar man who was never unemployed. The equivalent figure for a woman is 11.6%. The wage reduction is greater at all ages for men than it is for women. Overall, a man who has been long-term unemployed as a young person loses an average of £67,761 in wages between the ages of 23 and 33; the equivalent loss for a woman is £34,485.

Posted by Sarahjane Sarkhosh on 05 April 2011

A really thought-provoking blog, it reminds me of how fortunate a position I am in. I can take a lot from being in an organisation which tackles unemployment whilst developing in my own role too!

Posted by Katie on 05 April 2011

Too frequently young people are caught in the situation of having no guidance into how to secure employment, how to interact in the workplace or how to look at having a healthy work life balance! Investing in our youth is investing in our future!! K

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