UN warns of ‘lockdown generation’ as 1 in 6 young workers loses job

DPA, 27TH MAY, 2020 -  A sixth of the world’s young labour force has stopped working since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) said on Wednesday in a report which warned of long-term disadvantages for today’s youth.   

In a global survey, the Geneva-based UN body also found that the Covid-19 crisis is hurting young people’s chances of entering the labour market.   

Around 10 per cent of students expect that they will not be able to complete their current education. Half said that their studies would be delayed.   

“That leads us to be extremely concerned for the welfare of young people,” ILO director general Guy Ryder said in an online press briefing, warning of a “lockdown generation” that could face lower wages and higher unemployment for years to come.   

“The danger is that this initial shock to young people will last for a decade or more than a decade,” Ryder said.   
More than 11,000 respondents between the ages of 18 and 29 took part in the survey.   

The ILO pointed out that global youth unemployment before the current crisis already stood at 13.6 per cent last year, above the level seen before the 2008 global financial crisis.