Young people are often patronised in the world of work. It’s long been the case that a lack of experience is perceived as a bad thing, rather than a good thing, and that’s likely to continue. Much is about perception of course, and challenging traditional ideas.But there are plenty of reasons to suggest that today it’s harder than ever for young people in the workplace.
1. Advertised salaries are down
New research from Adzuna showed that advertised salaries fell to an 11-month low, despite continued workforce growth, which was powered by part-timers and low-paid roles. The average advertised UK salary was £33, 696 in June, down from £34, 002 in May.That said, the number of advertised salaries rose in 3.2 per cent in June, from the May figure. And you might argue that too much can be read into these month-to-month figures. There will always be a degree of fluctuation.It’s broadly hoped that the new ‘National Living Wage’ (NLW) will affect a good proportion of the UK workforce, including those on zero-hour contracts or the current minimum wage – such as carers, the nursing sector, admin and warehouse workers.
2. There’s a lack of older staff moving on
Another new report highlights a trend that’s said to be impeding the progress of young people, and reducing their earning potential.The Resolution Foundation, which analyses a ‘squeezed middle’ of low earning people in the UK, says that people are spending longer in one job, and this creates a “promotion blockage.” Its report suggests that this risks permanently reducing the earnings of a generation.A general absence of fluidity between jobs is a worry, because it curtails “prospects for promotion, pay rises and productivity gains”.According to The Resolution Foundation job mobility is not in a good way, and hasn’t been for some time. People aged in their early 30s today were likely to have had their early careers affected by the economic downturn, when the rate of job moves dipped considerably. And their salaries are almost £3000 lower than those five years older.
3. The ‘always on’ technology culture
Rapidly advancing technology is usually hailed as a force for good, but it might not always be for the benefit of young people.According to a poll of public and private sector workers commissioned by civil service and public sector membership organisation Atlantic ResourceMA Club, technology is making UK employees work longer hours. A third of workers in both the public and private sectors said technology like smartphones and remote access to emails encourages them to work much longer hours than was the case five years ago.While age wasn’t explicitly cited within the poll, a casual reader might suspect that it’s younger workers who are more likely to feel the press of work obligation, if they can access their work at the touch of an iPhone button.The report also says that over a quarter of public sector workers stayed in ‘work mode’ after they’d clocked off, thanks to tech, and that figure rose to a third in the private sector.Despite this, the public sector were most likely to struggle with mentally leaving work behind with almost a third (31 per cent) saying they couldn’t forget about work and relax after finishing, compared with just 20 per cent of private sector staff.So it seems you might actually pay for being technology literate. It’s as much a bind as a benefit.
In Summary
Work is tough at any age, and now is an especially tough time if you’re young. But that isn’t to say there’s no cause for optimism. There are lots of examples of successful young people blazing their own career trails independently, and as of businesses and organisations.At Atlantic Resource we regularly see the issues young people face and know it’s hard out there, which is why we’re always trying to help. Drop us a line if you’d like to chat over work options.Check out our other blog posts about how to get a graduate job, or how to brush up your professional online profiles.
