Young people were the main victims of
the economic and social crisis triggered by the COVID-19 health
emergency, paying a disproportionately high price in terms of
unemployment or greater job insecurity, and mental-health
problems, according to an EU study.
The preliminary version of the Geography of Covid study,
conducted by the ESPON European cooperation programme
specialized in regional analysis, said that youth unemployment
in the EU's regions increased by 21.81% with respect to
pre-pandemic levels.
It said the young people most at risk of losing their jobs were
employed in the sectors affected most by the restrictions
imposed to combat the spread of COVID, such as hospitality,
restaurant and accommodation services, and wholesale and retail
trade.
The researchers observed that, as a result, the local economies
based mainly on these sectors registered major increases in
youth unemployment rates.
The EU States present a mixed picture, with Slovenia, Lithuania
and Bulgaria registering the biggest increases in youth
unemployment rates, at 76.8%, 68.5% and 63.2% respectively.
Furthermore, the study showed that the greatest variations were
found within the countries themselves.
Regions with a vocation for tourism were hit hard and registered
major increases in youth unemployment during the pandemic.
Indeed, young people working in the tourism sector often have
short-term contracts that make them more vulnerable to being
dismissed.
It also became more difficult for new graduates to enter the
labour market, a phenomenon that could be seen especially in the
big cities that are often home to universities.
The research showed that local authorities implemented
social-support initiatives to help disadvantaged segments of the
population, those considered most exposed to the social and
economic crisis during the pandemic, including young people,
women, children and the homeless.
In addition to leading to higher youth unemployment, the health
emergency also led to an increase in the number of NEETs, people
not in employment, education or training, especially in the
15-to-29 age group.
Furthermore, young workers were also affected by a moderate
increase in the rate of people at risk of poverty in half of the
EU's countries.
According to a survey conducted by Eurofound in the spring of
2021 that was cited in the study, almost two-thirds of
youngsters aged 18 to 34 were at risk of depression, with the
deterioration in mental health being particularly acute among
those who had lost their jobs.
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