“Young workers are getting a raw deal at work, with limited opportunities and low wages.” This is a statement attributed to Frances O’Grady, General Secretary of the British Trades Union Congress (TUC) from 2013 to 2022. Some governments, in an effort to dispute the accuracy of this claim, may counter it by citing low unemployment figures for young people. Moreover, they would contend that many new job opportunities have been created for this demographic. However, when one examines the reality of what exists, the accuracy of the government’s claim becomes questionable. Some would suggest that the government’s claim is fictional, a myth, or a figment of the imagination.
There are good reasons to believe that young people are facing difficulties in entering the labour market. Research findings show that those between the ages of 15 and 30 experience the greatest difficulties in their quest to find employment. Chief among the problems they encounter is the pushback received from prospective employers, who cite a lack of work experience. This may be hard to dispute, but it can be reasonably argued that no experience can be gained where the opportunity is not provided for young people to work. The lack of exposure will definitely hinder any work experience from being gained. There is a school of thought that, historically, younger workers have always been the most vulnerable during economic downturns. This is occasioned by existing unstable work arrangements, which lead to young workers being offered short-term employment. This stifles the opportunity for growth and development within the work environment. Moreover, it does not provide for security of tenure.
The competition for jobs within the labour market often means that young workers are placed at a distinct disadvantage. This is based on the assumption that they have fewer skills and less experience than their older counterparts. As a consequence, many young workers become victims of underemployment. This is where they are engaged in short-term, part-time, and sometimes casual employment. Not only are they paid meagre wages and salaries—often tied to the national minimum wage, wherever such exists—they are also non-recipients of most benefits that usually accompany the job. The vulnerability of this group becomes obvious, given that they are the ones who are readily subject to the application of the ‘last in, first out’ principle when it is engaged as a means of effectively reducing the staffing complement.
Employment instability emerges as a challenge for young workers. This is associated with the age, education, and training of the young worker. These are factors that employers take into account when considering job displacement by way of layoffs, especially in times of economic recession, where there is a need to address cost-cutting measures. The technological changes which now impact the workplace have become a force to be reckoned with, as these technological developments have made some traditional jobs obsolete. The demand for new skill sets and the embrace of innovation within the workplace provide a chance for young and enterprising workers to gain employment. Notwithstanding this development, young workers are required to meet the high qualification requirements and have the requisite years of experience demanded by employers.
There is a growing concern that young workers are being exposed to precarious work, low-paying jobs, limited incentives, reduced social protection benefits, and limited access to quality jobs. These are unlikely to motivate and inspire a generation of young people, who have conjured the idea that the system is causing them to be disadvantaged and disillusioned.
Dennis De Peiza is a labour and employee relations consultant with Regional Management Services Inc.
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