More than one in four young people are worried that poor mental health will affect their ability to find work after the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a report.
After the opening up of the British economy this spring, the Resolution Foundation said young workers were still suffering a heavier toll than their older colleagues and were paying a heavier price with their mental health.
It said that 18- to 24-year-olds were two and a half times more likely at the end of May to be out of work or still on furlough than any other age group, even after the reopening of hospitality venues across the UK as activity returns to Britain’s high streets.
It comes amid mounting concerns over the lasting impact of the crisis for young people after 15 months of unprecedented disruption to their educations and the start of their working lives, with separate research published on Monday by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) warning that those getting on the career ladder for the first time could bear the scars of the Covid recession for years to come.
Despite the opening up of the economy this spring, the Resolution Foundation said more than one in five adults aged 18 to 24 reported struggles with mental health last month.
In a survey of more than 8,000 adults, undertaken by YouGov on behalf of the thinktank and the Health Foundation charity, fewer than half (48%) said their mental health was good. This compared with a much higher rate of 64% for 55- to 64-year-olds.