ILO warns that the pandemic will hamper the integration of an entire generation into the labour market
The COVID-19 pandemic is like a tsunami that wipes out everything and everyone. While the elderly have lost their health and their lives, young people have been deprived of their studies due to the closure of schools, universities and training centres. The International Labour Organization (ILO) has warned that the spread of the virus will hamper the integration of an entire generation into the labour market. The agency has conducted a survey of 12,000 young people between the ages of 18 and 29 in 112 countries, which reveals that one in eight could not continue with their classes, due to lack of access to the Internet or telematic means, and almost one in ten fears that the pandemic has affected their education forever.
Sixty-five percent of young people surveyed indicated that they had learned less since the beginning of the pandemic, another 51 percent expressed fear that their education would be delayed, and nine percent expressed fear of failing in school due to interruptions caused by the health crisis. According to this study, since the beginning of the pandemic, more than 70 percent of young people who study or combine their studies with work have suffered the impact of this health crisis.
The report entitled "Youth and the VIDCO-19 pandemic: effects on jobs, education, rights and mental well-being" states that the situation has been even worse for young people living in lower income countries, highlighting the huge digital divide between different regions. "While 65 per cent of young people in high-income countries were able to attend classes via video conferencing, only 18 per cent of young people were able to continue their education online in low-income countries," the paper highlights.
"The pandemic has a very adverse impact on young people. Not only does it undermine their employment and professional future, but it also greatly diminishes their education and training, and hence their mental well-being. We cannot allow this to happen," said ILO Director-General Guy Ryder.
Concern and outrage add to this unstable situation. According to the report, more than 38% of young people have expressed concern about their professional future and fear that the pandemic will affect their development in the labour market. The measures taken to prevent the spread of this pathogen forced one in six young people to work from home, while 42% of those who have kept their jobs have seen their income reduced. This situation has had a strong impact on their mental well-being, according to this survey, which states that 50% of young people are susceptible to episodes of anxiety or depression, and that 17% are likely to suffer from them.
"The voice of young people must be heard". With these words, the ILO has highlighted the need to let young people do their bit in the fight against the crisis. This document has revealed that one in four young people did some kind of volunteer work during the pandemic, so their voices need to be heard for a "more inclusive response" to the current health crisis.
This report - produced by ILO, AIESEC, the European Union Emergency Trust Fund for Africa, the European Youth Forum, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN Children and Youth Major Group - also calls for specific policy measures to prevent the pandemic from undermining the future of several generations.
The ILO, together with the other partner organizations, has conducted a survey of 12,000 young people aged 18-29 in 112 countries to obtain these results. "Everything points to an unprecedented impact on opportunities for young people, not only in the short term but also in the long term," said ILO Director of Employment Policy Sangheon Lee at the launch of the study.
This survey shows the "systematic, profound and disproportionate" impact of this pandemic on young people. "Only by joining forces with young people can we prevent the crisis from having a lasting impact on their lives," the report concludes.
