August 2010
Destined for the dole?
Thousands of young people from jobless
families could be destined to join their parents in the dole queue,
warns a Prince’s Trust and Qa Research report today.
The study -
part of The Prince's Trust Undiscovered campaign - reveals that
young people from workless families are significantly more likely
to struggle to find a job themselves, as well as feeling far less
confident about their future.
Seventy per cent have struggled to find a job, while nearly one
in five (18 per cent) expect to end up on benefits because other
people around them have.
According to the report, based on interviews with 2,048
16-to-24-year-olds, one in five (20 per cent) say that seeing their
parents out of work has made them anxious about finding a job. One
in four (25 per cent) feel their parents don’t have the knowledge
to help them find employment, while almost one in ten (nine per
cent) haven’t even thought about what career they want.
Martina Milburn, chief executive, youth charity The Prince’s
Trust said:
Too many young people are facing a cycle of
worklessness and can’t see a way out. It is a tragedy to think that
so many feel condemned to a life on benefits.Only by giving young
people skills, confidence and positive role models can we help them
break out of this unemployment trap. If we fail to stop these
disadvantaged young people becoming disadvantaged adults, this
cycle will continue to blight these families for generations to
come.
According to the report, carried out by social and market
research agency Qa Research, growing up in an area of high
unemployment also has a long-term impact on young people’s
prospects and confidence.
Two-fifths (39 per cent) of those living in communities with
high levels of unemployment worry they will never find a good job.
One in four (25 per cent) feel depressed as a result of living in
the area, while nearly half (49 per cent) have no role models whose
careers they look up to and respect.
Almost one in six (15 per cent) worry that their children won’t
be able to find a job in the future.
The report, Destined for the dole?, also highlights that young
people want to work, with more than three quarters (76 per cent)
saying that finding a good job is their main priority for the
future and nearly two thirds (65 per cent) stating that their main
aim is to support their family.
More than six out of ten (63 per cent) say that having more
volunteering opportunities in their local area would give them the
skills they needed to find a job.
Angela Browne, Head of Children and Young People Research, Qa
Research said:
Our research indicates that thousands of young
people are growing up believing they will never progress past the
dole queue. This is deeply concerning, both for them and the
British economy, which needs new talent now more than ever.
There are 1.9 million children living in workless households –
the highest number in the EU[1]. The UK also has one of highest
overall rates of workless households in the EU, third only to
Belgium and Hungary, with nearly 4.8 million working-age people
living in a household where no-one works[2]. Around 3.9 million
children are living below the poverty line in the UK[3].
This research is part of The Prince's
Trust's Undiscovered campaign. Click here to read more.
[1] Office for National Statistics, Work and Worklessness
among Households, 2009.
[2] Eurostat, People living in jobless households, 18-59,
2008 data.
[3] Department for Work and Pensions, Household Below
Average Income (HBAI), 2008/9. Figure is calculated after housing
costs.