Young people 'bearing the brunt of pandemic-related job losses'
We've been hearing from a University of York student worried about future job prospects.
It's feared young people in York and North Yorkshire face uncertainty in the job market because of Covid.
It's as a new report says they've been hardest hit by the rise in unemployment because of the pandemic.
The Resolution Foundation report, out today, warns that the young had borne the brunt of the job losses because they disproportionately worked in sectors such as hospitality and leisure, which have been worst affected by the crisis.
It found that between April to June and July to September 2020, the unemployment rate among 18 to 24-year-olds rose from 11.5% to 13.6% - an 18% increase, representing the largest quarter-on-quarter rise among this age group since 1992.
It said that people aged 16 to 24 also accounted for 57% of the fall in employment between the three months to January 2020 and the three months to January 2021.
Isaac Lowe is a final year Computer Science student at the University of York, and says the future is uncertain: "It makes me worried for the immediate future.
"I suspect it won't matter too much after 5 years as some industries will bounce back. However, Covid's had a big impact on how I expect to move on from university.
"Even a year or two ago I could expect to find a job, even if it wasn't something that I really wanted. It would be something that could support myself, but now I'm not so sure I could get that.
"A lot of companies have stopped offering work, and I can't be sure I'll be able to make money graduating university. All the certainty that I ever had has gone.
"It's very much a year by year thing with opportunities, rather than grouping 'generations' together. I think we'll get ignored.
"Once I graduate, if I move on for a year or two and then the jobs I want start coming back; they're going to want recent graduates with more relevant experience.
"There'll probably be a skill gap of about two years because of the pandemic".
Kathleen Henehan, a senior research and policy analyst at the Resolution Foundation, said the Government should prioritise the employment prospects for young people as the economy recovers: "The furlough scheme has done a fantastic job of minimising job losses amidst unprecedented shutdowns of our economy.
"However, young people have still experienced a sharp rise in unemployment during the Covid-19 crisis - with recent education-leavers and young black people being hardest hit.
"Young people have sacrificed their livelihoods in order to save the lives of others from Covid-19, and putting their careers back on track must be a priority for Government in the months and years ahead.''