Understanding the COVID-19 Impact on Young People and Precarity Drawing on a New Multidimensional Analytical Framework

19 Pages Posted: 24 Sep 2022

See all articles by Jose Rafael Verduzco Torres

Jose Rafael Verduzco Torres

University of Glasgow; University of Glasgow - School of Social and Political Sciences

Mark Wong

University of Glasgow - School of Social and Political Sciences

Date Written: September 21, 2022

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic, derived from the rapid and wide-spread of the SARS‑CoV‑2 virus (coronavirus), has resulted in a major shock to the global labour market which in turn is reflected in a global job crisis of ‘unprecedent magnitude’ (ILO, 2021; Lee et al., 2020). Despite the young people are considered in “no risk” of coronavirus in terms of health, there is consistent agreement that this group has been hit the hardest socio-economically (Churchill, 2021; ILO, 2020a, 2021; Mayhew & Anand, 2020). Global estimates suggest that unemployment affected 67.6 million young people in 2020 (Lee et al., 2020). With the aim to generate comprehensive reviews of the COVID-19 impact on young people, first we propose an analytical framework grounded on the employment precarity concept. Also, we provide a specific example employing the proposed analytical framework drawing on the case of Scotland and the United Kingdom. We analyse some of the policy challenges, including some of the signs of recovery and identify some recommendations suggested in literature. The impacts of this COVID-19 crisis on young people are treated as multidimensional (ILO, 2021). Although some general indicators show positive changes, there are both subjective and objective signs suggesting the need of a comprehensive perspective from policy interventions such as the framework proposed in the present review which includes not only on economic and contractual conditions but also health and social aspects considering both the short- and long-term implications to tackle the multidimensional impacts of this new crisis. One advantage in implementing our framework is that is that it combines the lenses of under/un-employment and (mental) health in understanding the scarring of the pandemic – bringing those two used to be separate discussions together for the COVID recovery discussion and policy.

Keywords: COVID-19, young people, precarity

Suggested Citation

Verduzco Torres, Jose Rafael and Wong, Mark, Understanding the COVID-19 Impact on Young People and Precarity Drawing on a New Multidimensional Analytical Framework (September 21, 2022). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4225802 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4225802

Jose Rafael Verduzco Torres (Contact Author)

University of Glasgow ( email )

University of Glasgow
Glasgow, Scotland G12 8QQ
United Kingdom

University of Glasgow - School of Social and Political Sciences

United Kingdom

Mark Wong

University of Glasgow - School of Social and Political Sciences ( email )

United Kingdom

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