Young unemployed 'may be left psychologically scarred'

Young people across Yorkshire could face a lifetime of poor health and permanent psychological scars if the number of jobless under 25s is not reduced, according to a new report seen by the Yorkshire Post.

It says nearly one in ten young people say they feel depressed all or most of the time, with more than one in five saying they feel constantly anxious.

Currently one in five young people are unemployed, or 952,000, the worst since records began in 1992 and higher than any age group.

Overall 7.9 per cent of people are on the dole.

The report, published today, also suggests that unemployed young people are twice as likely to feel depressed than those in work. They are also more likely to feel ashamed, isolated and unloved more of the time.

Professor David Blanchflower, one of the world’s leading labour economists, said: “Unemployment has a knock-on effect on a young person’s self-esteem, their emotional stability and overall wellbeing. The longer the period a young person is unemployed for, the more likely they are to experience this psychological scarring.”

The former member of the monetary committee of the Bank of England added: “This means an unhappy and debilitated generation of young people who – as a result – becomes decreasingly likely to find work in the future.”

A quarter of young people in Yorkshire said that their joblessness has caused arguments with their parents and other family members.

Rachel Keen, 20, from Rotherham, was one of those who found unemployment depressing. She struggled and eventually dropped out of college at 17 and drifted between jobs.

Because of all the knockbacks at job interviews and her lack of qualifications she said she would sit around the house doing nothing all day.

She added: “It got to a point where I couldn’t see my boyfriend because I couldn’t afford train tickets and I didn’t have an independence because I couldn’t learn to drive. I was always in a bad mood and was a burden on my parents. The whole situation was hopeless.”

Now she has a job after the Youth Association of South Yorkshire (YASA) referred her to the Prince’s Trust Youth Steps course, and she works as an administrative assistant for YASA.

Peter Branson, regional director for the Prince’s Trust in Yorkshire and The Humber, who commissioned the YouGov report, said: “The implications of youth unemployment stretch beyond the dole queue.

“The emotional effects on young people are profound, long-term and can become irreversible. We must act now to prevent a lost generation of young people before it is too late.”

Chancellor Alistair Darling announced in his Pre Budget Report in December that the Government intends to offer all 16- and 17-year-olds full-time education or training and anyone under the age of 24 would be guaranteed work or training within six months.