Locked Down and Locked Out? New report on the impact of COVID-19 on employment for young people
We’ve heard a lot about the devastating impact COVID-19 is going to have on young people’s work and future employment opportunities.
Analysis highlights that not only will approximately 30-40% of young people lose their jobs, but many will face long-term ‘scarring’ effects, limiting their work opportunities and income for up to ten years. As of May, nearly two out of three young workers are unable to meet their basic needs due to underemployment, and 290,000 young people aged 15-24 have stopped looking for work entirely.
This forecast is particularly worrying for young people who already faced entrenched barriers in the job market. Unfortunately, the current state of play means that the intersection of being both young, and from a refugee or migrant background, creates a double disadvantage in this labour market crisis.
Our new report ‘Locked Down and Locked Out?’ released today provides a snapshot of the immediate impacts of COVID-19 on both employment, and the search for employment, for young people from refugee and migrant backgrounds in Victoria.
During the March-April lockdown period, CMY interviewed 41 young people connected with our Employment Empowers program. We asked participants about the impact of COVID-19 on their employment journey.
This report explores the findings, providing insights into young job seekers’ experiences and key recommendations on how we can more effectively support young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds into employment – ensuring no one is locked out or left behind.
Infographic snapshot of key findings
