Most deprived children face biggest risk of unemployment

5 June 2020

Children growing up in jobless households will be less likely to gain employment in an economic recession, according to a new cross-European study led by 果冻影院 and the University of Bath.

The working paper, published today, by the 果冻影院 Centre for Education Policy and Equalising Opportunities (CEPEO), finds young people from deprived backgrounds face a three-way set of conditions that could lock them out of work: namely child deprivation, resulting from a jobless home, poor educational attainment and depressed regional labour markets.

However the report entitled, 鈥業ntergenerational joblessness across Europe: the role of labour markets, education and welfare generosity鈥�, also shows that in countries with more generous welfare systems, children鈥檚 chances of being out of work in adulthood are not related to their childhood circumstances.

In a call to action, the report鈥檚 authors say governments across Europe should offer targeted support to the most disadvantaged, particularly in any upcoming recession, to ensure those worst affected are not left behind. Policies should focus on improving regional job markets and boosting educational attainment.

Lead author, Professor Lindsey Macmillan, Director of the 果冻影院 Centre for Education Policy and Equalising Opportunities part of the 果冻影院 Institute of Education, said: 鈥淐ovid-19 means Europe once again faces mass unemployment.

鈥淥ur research shows that those people who come from disadvantaged families and have low educational attainment are the most at risk of sustained exclusion from the labour market when work disappears.

鈥淭his will profoundly affect the next generation of deprived children, whose parents are joblessness, and dramatically reduce any future employment opportunities.

鈥淭o ensure generations of young people aren鈥檛 left behind, there needs to be a co-ordinated response to tackle multiple aspects of disadvantage.鈥�

Co-author Paul Gregg, Professor of Economic and Social Policy at the University of Bath, said: 鈥淭his study shows how weak local labour market conditions heavily penalise those from disadvantaged families.鈥�

The report explains that, historically, during long periods of recession, it is individuals who are most in need that are left the 鈥榖ack of the queue鈥� for limited employment opportunities.

The study finds that people from jobless households in childhood who achieve a degree have the same employment prospects as those from working households. However, young jobseekers who have low levels of education and/or looking to enter a weak labour market are disproportionately more likely to be jobless in adulthood.

Professor Macmillan added: 鈥淐ountries that offer more general welfare systems which invest in education and provide welfare payments are more likely to have lower intergenerational jobless associations.鈥�

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鈥楽ad young boy鈥� Credit: Wokandpix on听听CC BY 2.0

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