Resolution Foundation warns 16-24-year-olds have been disproportionately affected by fall in employment

A new report from the Resolution Foundation has found that young people have been disproportionately affected by the impact of Covid-19 on employment.

The report finds that 16-24-year-olds have accounted for an inordinate share (57 per cent) of the fall in employment that’s occurred over the past year.  The report also finds that the the impact of the Covid-19 crisis is unequally spread within generations, including among today’s young people. Before the onset of Covid-19 (Q2-Q4 2019), one-in-four (25 per cent) economically active Black 16-24-year-olds were unemployed, compared to one-in-ten (10 per cent) of their White counterparts. By Q2-Q4 2020, the unemployment rate rose to 34 per cent (a 9 percentage point increase) among Black young people and to 13 per cent (a 2 point rise) among White young people.

Moreover,  the report finds that the crisis has not just been characterised by young people losing their jobs, but also by recent education leavers struggling to find their first job.

To see the full report and additional commentary from the Resolution Foundation, click here.