Earn
Australian youths bear brunt of COVID-19 cuts
With unemployment rising further over May, here’s just how much the impact is being felt by Australian youths.
Australian youths bear brunt of COVID-19 cuts
With unemployment rising further over May, here’s just how much the impact is being felt by Australian youths.
Unemployment rose to 7.1 per cent in May – the highest level in 21 years – as 277,700 people lost jobs or left the workforce.
This follows April’s figures, with the unemployment rate jumping to 6.2 per cent, up from 5.2 per cent, recording the biggest increase in month-on-month on record, as almost 600,000 people lost their job.
Australians between the ages of 15-24 make up almost half the numbers of staff being made redundant, as 290,000 lost their jobs during this economic downturn.
Per Capita’s senior economist, Shirley Jackson, said: “The COVID-19 recession has smashed what little job security there was for young people in Australia.
“Previous experience has shown that trying to establish a foothold in the economy during a recession can cause scarring effects that reduce incomes and living standards for life.”
However, the economist noted that well before this crisis took hold, employment conditions for young people in Australia were already grim.
Young workers are by far the most likely to suffer from insecure work, with low wages and unstable hours, according to Ms Jackson.
While, to some extent, the transition from school to work has long been defined by insecurity, young people today remain in insecure and underpaid work much longer than did their parents and grandparents, and the problem has intensified significantly in the decade since the global financial crisis.
More than half of workers aged 15-24 are now employed through casual contracts, while in 2018 almost 40 per cent of workers aged 25-34 were in a casual, fixed-term or part-time job.
Further, Ms Jackson explained that early experiences of unemployment and insecure work have a pernicious effect on young people, reducing their chances of achieving the standard of living Australians have come to expect over generations.
As such, the economist is urging for policy changes that will support youth employment.
“We must implement a comprehensive suite of policies under which young people are supported to achieve their full potential, and to realise the promise of Australia that was afforded to their parents and grandparents,” Ms Jackson stated.
Did you enjoy this article? You may also be interested in:
- COVID-19 sees official unemployment rate soar
- Real unemployment 'reality' almost 10 per cent
- Unemployment is not telling the entire story
About the author
About the author
Salary
PM implored to introduce ‘AviationKeeper’ to prevent further job losses
The aviation industry is calling on the government for additional support, as one of Australia’s hardest-hit industries continues to struggle through the COVID-19 pandemic. ...Read more
Salary
Why employees could be forced to get a COVID-19 vaccination
Employees are being warned that they may need to sign up for a COVID-19 vaccine or face possible termination, a lawyer has explained. ...Read more
Salary
50,000 Aussies back at work: ABS
Australia has added 50,000 new jobs for the month of December, with the unemployment rate falling from 6.8 per cent in November to 6.6 per cent, official stats show. ...Read more
Salary
Economists predict a further drop in unemployment
Economists are predicting further falls in the unemployment rate largely led by Victoria as it emerged from an extended lockdown, new research has revealed. ...Read more
Salary
Casual workers could lose $1k under new reforms
The opposition has claimed that the Morrison government’s plan to amend penalty rates could cost casual employees up to $1,100. ...Read more
Salary
Job vacancies surpass pre-COVID levels
The Australian economy is continuing to show signs of improvement, with job vacancies skyrocketing over the last quarter, official figures have revealed. ...Read more
Salary
Unions take Qantas to High Court over JobKeeper ‘misuse’
Aussie unions are taking their fight with Australia’s largest airline to the High Court following claims Qantas misused the JobKeeper payment to subsidise overtime payments, essentially robbing wor...Read more
Salary
JobSeekers urged to ‘turn off Netflix’ and work in regional Australia
The acting Prime Minister has urged unemployed Australians who are currently on JobSeeker benefits to "turn off Netflix" and look for regional work, as farmers struggle to find temporary foreign worke...Read more
Salary
PM implored to introduce ‘AviationKeeper’ to prevent further job losses
The aviation industry is calling on the government for additional support, as one of Australia’s hardest-hit industries continues to struggle through the COVID-19 pandemic. ...Read more
Salary
Why employees could be forced to get a COVID-19 vaccination
Employees are being warned that they may need to sign up for a COVID-19 vaccine or face possible termination, a lawyer has explained. ...Read more
Salary
50,000 Aussies back at work: ABS
Australia has added 50,000 new jobs for the month of December, with the unemployment rate falling from 6.8 per cent in November to 6.6 per cent, official stats show. ...Read more
Salary
Economists predict a further drop in unemployment
Economists are predicting further falls in the unemployment rate largely led by Victoria as it emerged from an extended lockdown, new research has revealed. ...Read more
Salary
Casual workers could lose $1k under new reforms
The opposition has claimed that the Morrison government’s plan to amend penalty rates could cost casual employees up to $1,100. ...Read more
Salary
Job vacancies surpass pre-COVID levels
The Australian economy is continuing to show signs of improvement, with job vacancies skyrocketing over the last quarter, official figures have revealed. ...Read more
Salary
Unions take Qantas to High Court over JobKeeper ‘misuse’
Aussie unions are taking their fight with Australia’s largest airline to the High Court following claims Qantas misused the JobKeeper payment to subsidise overtime payments, essentially robbing wor...Read more
Salary
JobSeekers urged to ‘turn off Netflix’ and work in regional Australia
The acting Prime Minister has urged unemployed Australians who are currently on JobSeeker benefits to "turn off Netflix" and look for regional work, as farmers struggle to find temporary foreign worke...Read more
More articles
Website Notifications
Get notifications in real-time for staying up to date with content that matters to you.
