Coronavirus: Pandemic has widened global generation gap as youth unemployment rates soar, report finds

The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated a gulf between generations with people aged under 25 far more likely to be unemployed, a new global report has revealed.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development said unemployment rates have surged by 4.9 per cent since February - from 11.7 per cent to 16.6 per cent - for those aged 15 to 24, more than double the rise for those aged 25 and over.

The stark statistics are based on a survey of 34 OECD member countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom and Spain, eight further non-member nations, the European Commission and 81 youth organisations.

The report states that while younger people are less likely to suffer ill health as a result of the virus, they are bearing a heavy cost brought about by worldwide lockdowns, the shutdown of education institutes and the ongoing impact on the economy.

Young people are likely to have less job security, less disposable income and find it harder to get on the housing ladder, the study by the intergovernmental economic organisation stated.

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"Youth across OECD countries enjoy unprecedented access to information, education and technology," found the report titled Governance for Youth, Trust and Intergenerational Justice.

"However, the repercussions of the global financial crisis in the late 2000s, the Covid-19 pandemic and global transformations such as climate change, ageing, digitisation, and rising inequalities have created uncertainties about the future young people and unborn generations face."

During the pandemic, students lost part-time jobs and had fewer financial reserves to fall back on.

The study found that countrywide lockdowns and social distancing measures in place in many OECD countries had disrupted everyday life.

“The pandemic hit OECD countries at a moment when many young people had barely recovered from the repercussions of the 2007-08 global financial crisis," stated the report.

“When youth are not active in social life and the labour market, the costs for societies and economies are high.

"Their absence undermines social cohesion, productivity, and the potential for inclusive growth."

Across OECD countries, the 2007-08 crisis left 15 million young people unemployed, while one in ten jobs held by people under the age of 30 was lost, found the report.

In 2017, on average across OECD countries, one in 10 young people aged 15-24 was not in education, employment or training.

This lead to an economic cost of between 0.9 per cent and 1.5 per cent of OECD GDP.

The study recommended that governments remove barriers to youth participation in politics, create programmes to help young people join the public sector, and provide programmes for inter-generational learning.

Suggestions included strengthening volunteering and youth work opportunities, investing in youth strategies, and making targeted policies to help young people.

Governments also need to show a strong commitment to reduce inequalities within different age groups and promote age diversity in decision-making.

The Arab Youth Survey 2021, reported earlier in October, that one in five young Arabs said they or someone in their family had lost their job due to coronavirus.

The survey reported that 72 per cent said it was “much more difficult” or a “little more difficult” to find a job now compared with the pre-Covid era.

In the UAE, 41 per cent said finding a new job is more difficult now than before the pandemic.

The report also found that more than four in 10 people aged 18 to 24 had thought about or were attempting to emigrate.

The youth survey involved face-to-face interviews with 4,000 people in 17 countries.

The survey found that 35 per cent of respondents had personal debt, up from 15 per cent five years ago.

if you go

The flights
Emirates flies to Delhi with fares starting from around Dh760 return, while Etihad fares cost about Dh783 return. From Delhi, there are connecting flights to Lucknow.
Where to stay
It is advisable to stay in Lucknow and make a day trip to Kannauj. A stay at the Lebua Lucknow hotel, a traditional Lucknowi mansion, is recommended. Prices start from Dh300 per night (excluding taxes).

The specs: 2019 Mercedes-Benz C200 Coupe

Price, base: Dh201,153
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 204hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 300Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.7L / 100km

No Shame

Lily Allen

(Parlophone)

Sole survivors

Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.

TUESDAY'S ORDER OF PLAY

Centre Court

Starting at 2pm:

Elina Svitolina (UKR) [3] v Jennifer Brady (USA)

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) v Belinda Bencic (SUI [4]

Not before 7pm:

Sofia Kenin (USA) [5] v Elena Rybakina (KAZ)

Maria Sakkari (GRE) v Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) [7]

Court One

Starting at midday:

Karolina Muchova (CZE) v Katerina Siniakova (CZE)

Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) v Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR)

Veronika Kudermetova (RUS) v Dayana Yastermska (UKR)

Petra Martic (CRO) [8] v Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE)

Sorana Cirstea (ROU) v Anett Kontaveit (EST)

THE SIXTH SENSE

Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

Rating: 5/5

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat

Key facilities

Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
Premier League-standard football pitch
400m Olympic running track
NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
600-seat auditorium
Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
Specialist robotics and science laboratories
AR and VR-enabled learning centres
Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills