Jobs and Numbers

Sometimes numbers can dazzle, sometimes they tell a story that causes real concern. Adventure (or exploration) and independence, are essential parts of growing up and growing into work. These are some of the crucial elements being denied Scottish young people because they cannot find real job opportunities, opportunities that give them experiences that foster a sense of purpose and responsibility.

The number of unemployed young people is a figure which is so great that it’s hard to grasp. Yet for each individual, there is a story to be told. Countless stories of the difficulty of finding employment and the knock-on effect of unemployment amongst a whole generation of young people could fill every page of today’s newspapers, and more.

The continued trend of the high numbers of young people out of work is very concerning. And yesterday, yet another survey showed that in spite of recent improvements, Scotland’s general employment outlook is lagging behind the rest of the UK. Compounded with today’s labour market statistics, this demonstrates that this is a continuing issue which isn’t going to go away in the near future.

The problem here is not just the wages that are not being earned, but the opportunities that are being denied.  Unemployed young people are not being granted the opportunity to experience a working life and all the challenges and rewards that this presents.  The first few years of a working life are often the most formative, building self-confidence, developing new skills and discovering talents, as well as the offering the chance to gain experience of working alongside people you might otherwise never have the chance to meet.

For thousands of young people, the prospect of developing and maturing as an adult and as a citizen is being denied. This surely has to be the real worry behind the headline-grabbing figures.  The sheer number of young people who are out of work is a very real demonstration of the reality of today’s so-called austerity measures.  But what this will mean for the rest of society in years to come, when this generation’s collective out of work experience makes its very real impact, is far more difficult to gauge.

Young and unemployed

Unemployment figures for young people have almost reached the 1 million mark. This means that youth unemployment has risen by 20.3%, which is the highest level it has ever been since 1992. Young people face an incredibly difficult entry into the job market, because they are competing for jobs with experienced workers who have recently entered the job market as a result of redundancy and job cuts.


Whenever young people remain unemployed for long, there is a societal and personal price to pay. A long spell of unemployment leaves permanent scars; it makes the prospect of entering the job market even harder and the likelihood of being stuck in low paying jobs more likely. At a societal level, disaffected youth is more likely to engage in crime and violence increasing demands on the police, social workers, hospitals and courts. Long-term youth unemployment is very expensive. It is also a tragedy.

The Coalition Government has proposed to attack youth unempoyment through a combination of apprenticeships, extra training places at colleges and work pairings, but in England it has allowed for the rise in student fees, the reduction of the education budget and the possible withdrawal of the £550 million education maintenance allowance, which was so vital for young people to remain in education. These actions seem paradoxical because many young people may chose to go back into education if they cannot find employment quickly. However, if entering education will merely sink you further into debt and there are no immediate jobs to be had, what are young people to do?

It is understandable that budgetary cuts need to come but I hope that Scotland can see through the fallacy behind cuts that affect the education, skills development and future employability of our young because innovation, R&D and ultimately jobs come from an educated work-force.