Youth bearing the brunt of Covid-19

Young people are being hit especially hard by the coronavirus crisis as their jobs dry up and education is disrupted, according to the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

Under 30s often work in sectors hit worst by the pandemic, making them particularly vulnerable. While that’s a familiar trait of economic crises, the situation today also raises concern about long-term scarring because of huge disruptions in training, the ILO said in a report based on a global survey.

“How this will eventually impact the young people who will come to the labour market next year or in two years’ time, that’s a really big question,” said Sangheon Lee, director of the ILO’s Employment Policy Department. Both problems together mean “this disproportionate impact we already start to see will continue in the years to come”.

The issue is one of a host of challenges for policymakers as they try to drag economies out of a deep slump. It shows how the crisis worsens inequality problems in societies and between richer and poorer nations. A lack of vacancies is now expected to lead to a longer transition from school to work, according to the Geneva-based organisation. Younger workers and those in lower-income countries are also more likely to see their work reduced.

The move from campuses to online learning didn’t go smoothly everywhere, revealing deep digital divides, especially in lower-income countries, according to the ILO.

Nearly one in six of those polled said their education had come to a complete stop, and more than half expected their studies to be delayed.

The survey, conducted among 12,000 people in April and May, also sought to gauge the effect of the crisis on young people’s mental health. One in two are “possibly” subject to anxiety or depression, with a further 17% “probably” affected.

The survey found the youth to be largely compliant with stay-at-home measures, while one in four reported being highly engaged in volunteering or making donations to the Covid-19 response.

The ILO called for “urgent, large-scale and targeted policy responses” to reintegrate those who lost their jobs, in the labour market, for example through hiring subsidies or youth guarantees. Governments should also make sure unemployment benefits reach young people, and invest in infrastructure to support digital learning.