The pandemic is still disrupting young people’s careers

Unlike previous economic downturns, the COVID pandemic created a crisis that disrupted both education and employment, abruptly halting young people’s emerging careers and clouding their hopes for the future. It doubly affected those transitioning into adulthood, out of school or university and into work, and it threatened the job security of those embarking on their careers when the pandemic began.

There has been a disproportionate and often hidden cost borne by young people which has had a lasting impact on their career paths, financial independence and mental wellbeing.

The pandemic sparked widespread educational disruption. Schools were closed, there was a rapid switch to online learning and exams were cancelled. This hindered young people’s ability to acquire essential knowledge^[1], skills and qualifications^[2].

This aggravated existing educational gaps, particularly between students from different backgrounds, and those with and without reliable digital access and learning support.

The cancellation of internships and work placements^[3] – vital for practical experience^[4] – left many with a gap in their skills. This may have increased the pressure to undertake unpaid work^[5] for employability.

Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter^[6] to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences. Young people are heavily concentrated in precarious, in-person^[7] employment sectors such as hospitality and retail. These jobs are characterised by temporary contracts, low wages^[8] and limited benefits. This instability made them acutely vulnerable during the pandemic. Precarious roles offered few safety nets, leading to immediate job losses or reduced hours. Labour markets contracted sharply, especially in in-person sectors^[9]. This affected young people in particular, who faced higher job losses and unemployment. Graduate recruitment also plummeted^[10] as companies froze or reduced entry-level hiring, creating a bottleneck for university leavers. This convergence of job losses and a shrinking graduate market made securing stable employment exceptionally difficult. The pandemic also magnified existing vulnerabilities. It exacerbated hardship and job insecurity for young people who were already marginalised and disadvantaged. Young people^[11] already in non-standard employment – such as gig work, zero-hours contracts or temporary roles – experienced disproportionately severe outcomes^[12]. The situation^[13] was the same for young people from lower-income backgrounds^[14], women and disabled young people^[15]. Less affluent young people often lack financial support from their families. This means deeper financial instability, increased debt and housing insecurity. These issues were exacerbated by the impact of the pandemic on employment. Precarity carries elevated long-term risks, including prolonged low wages and stunted career progression. This often delays the achievement of typical adult milestones^[16] such as financial autonomy and independent living.

Economic uncertainty destabilised emerging careers, forcing young people to rethink their options – a situation dubbed “precarious hope”^[18]. Many graduates, feeling less prepared, lowered their expectations^[19].

They may well have prioritised^[20] finding any available work, taking jobs that didn’t match their qualifications^[21], leading to lower wages and poorer working conditions.

Transitions to adulthood

Research has found^[22] that the pandemic created significant disruptions to the typical transition to adulthood. A prominent trend was the rise of “boomerang”^[23] trajectories: young adults returning to live with parents due to economic hardship or job loss.

More broadly, the pandemic contributed to delayed milestones such as leaving home, achieving financial independence and building stable relationships, creating prolonged dependence for many.

The pandemic also blurred young professional identities. Disrupted final years of study and remote transitions stripped away traditional markers of closure. Cancelled exams, internships and graduations plunged many into prolonged limbo.

This absence of clear rites of passage and the unexpected conclusion to studies added ambiguity^[24] to young people’s ideas of their own identity and life paths^[25]. This lack of clear professional selves left young people feeling helpless, their future out of their hands.

The psychological toll

The pandemic inflicted a profound psychological burden on young people. The loss of expected life passages, social and professional connections and routines fostered feelings of isolation, stagnation and diminished control. This distress was amplified by relentless uncertainty surrounding disrupted education, altered qualifications and a volatile job market.

A “COVID echo” continues to resonate for young people. Graduates from the pandemic period may still feel that they lag behind^[26] in their careers.

The early disruptions^[27] it caused through lost entry-level job opportunities, fewer chances to build networks and hindered skill development continue to cast a shadow over the further career prospects of these young people.

Enduring negative consequences like this are termed “scarring”, threatening to affect employment and earning potential for years.

Addressing these potential long-term scars requires an overhaul of the youth labour market. This means tackling precarious work, enhancing training and re-skilling, and strengthening social safety nets. Robust support, as well as listening to what young people have to say about their futures, will be vital in empowering this generation to overcome the crisis and reach their full potential.

References

1. ^{^} acquire essential knowledge (doi.org)
2. ^{^} qualifications (doi.org)
3. ^{^} work placements (bmcmededuc.biomedcentral.com)
4. ^{^} practical experience (doi.org)
5. ^{^} unpaid work (www.prospects.ac.uk)
6. ^{^} Sign up to our daily newsletter (theconversation.com)
7. ^{^} in-person (doi.org)
8. ^{^} low wages (doi.org)
9. ^{^} in-person sectors (doi.org)
10. ^{^} Graduate recruitment also plummeted (doi.org)
11. ^{^} Young people (doi.org)
12. ^{^} severe outcomes (doi.org)
13. ^{^} The situation (www.tandfonline.com)
14. ^{^} lower-income backgrounds (link.springer.com)
15. ^{^} disabled young people (doi.org)
16. ^{^} typical adult milestones (doi.org)
17. ^{^} Raushan_films/Shutterstock (www.shutterstock.com)
18. ^{^} “precarious hope” (doi.org)
19. ^{^} lowered their expectations (onlinelibrary.wiley.com)
20. ^{^} have prioritised (onlinelibrary.wiley.com)
21. ^{^} didn’t match their qualifications (www.tandfonline.com)
22. ^{^} Research has found (doi.org)
23. ^{^} “boomerang” (doi.org)
24. ^{^} added ambiguity (doi.org)
25. ^{^} life paths (dx.doi.org)
26. ^{^} lag behind (dx.doi.org)
27. ^{^} early disruptions (doi.org)