tag:theconversation.com,2011:/es/topics/young-workers-5491/articlesyoung workers – The Conversation2024-01-30T19:06:08Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2215772024-01-30T19:06:08Z2024-01-30T19:06:08ZAustralia’s child workers are vulnerable to injury, harassment and exploitation thanks to weak and inconsistent laws<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571083/original/file-20240124-19-z7s3bm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=381%2C173%2C7170%2C4964&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/good-looking-young-baker-setting-hot-1690544665">antoniodiaz/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Young workers under 18 years of age occupy a unique and poorly understood position in Australia’s labour market.</p>
<p>They contribute to crucial industries and the economy, but are uniquely vulnerable. Compared to adults, child workers experience high rates of workplace injuries, bullying and sexual harassment, wage theft and unpredictable hours. </p>
<p>In Victoria alone, <a href="https://www.vic.gov.au/muffin-break-served-360-criminal-charges-over-alleged-child-employment-breaches">franchises</a> currently face hundreds of criminal charges over alleged breaches of child employment laws, including shift lengths, break times and employing children after 9pm.</p>
<p>Protective regulations are insufficient and highly inconsistent across states and territories. Compounding this, few resources are directed to agencies responsible for monitoring the safety and quality of children’s work.</p>
<h2>Different types of children’s work</h2>
<p>In industrialised countries such as Australia, we use the term “children’s work” rather than “child labour”, which refers to work outside international legal frameworks that is harmful to physical or mental health. </p>
<p>Positive workplace experiences can help develop young people’s identities, career aspirations, financial skills and sense of responsibility.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572060/original/file-20240130-25-v08wmg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Young woman using a machine to make coffee in a cafe" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572060/original/file-20240130-25-v08wmg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572060/original/file-20240130-25-v08wmg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572060/original/file-20240130-25-v08wmg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572060/original/file-20240130-25-v08wmg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572060/original/file-20240130-25-v08wmg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572060/original/file-20240130-25-v08wmg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572060/original/file-20240130-25-v08wmg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">There is no proper monitoring or regulation of children’s work in Australia.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/equipment-coffee-shop-people-technology-concept-387109195">Ground Picture/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>The most visible child workers are employed in cafes, retail stores and fast-food outlets as apprentices or trainees. </p>
<p>Children also often do paid, informal jobs such as babysitting, dog walking or lawn mowing or work in family businesses such as farms and family-owned restaurants. This work is largely unmonitored, and in many states, is exempt from child employment legislation.</p>
<p>Another emerging form of work is content creation, where children and adolescents with large social media followings earn money by posting sponsored content, or feature on a parent-controlled platform.</p>
<p>The work of “kidfluencers” is not protected under Australian law, and there is <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/system/files/Digital%20platform%20services%20inquiry%20-%20March%202023%20report%20-%20Issues%20paper_0.pdf">no oversight</a> of working hours or of content created, despite potential online harassment, abuse and body-shaming. </p>
<p>Children’s participation in elite sport can also be considered work because <a href="https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Flipping-and-Spinning-Into-Labor-Regulations%3A-the-Hoffman/c3a2dc2c95262c414bb10f943642a1b616bc9632">training</a> can be extreme and young athletes may be subject to commercial contracts similar to professional athletes. There are currently no Australian or international legal provisions related to the duration and intensity of training regimes.</p>
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<p>Finally, children can be self-employed. A child can acquire an ABN on their own behalf from the age of 13. However, a lack of negotiating experience may make them vulnerable to coercion into <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/system/files/Digital%20platform%20services%20inquiry%20-%20March%202023%20report%20-%20Issues%20paper_0.pdf">unfair contracts</a> with brands and talent agencies.</p>
<h2>Patterns of work undertaken by children</h2>
<p>It is unclear how many children are employed in Australia at any given time.</p>
<p>The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) collects data on employed people aged 15 and over but only reports occupation by the aggregated category of 15-24 years. The last ABS survey on employed children aged 5-14 years was completed almost two decades ago in 2006.</p>
<p>Other Australian surveys estimate labour force status only for people aged 18 to 64, or place limited focus on child employment. Indeed, the International Labour Organisation has lamented the <a href="https://www.academia.edu/31806651/Egan_Tackling_the_Rise_of_Child_Labour_docx_2015_International_and_Comparative_Law_Quarterly_64_3_601_630">lack of data</a> on child employment in industrialised countries.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572065/original/file-20240130-15-38gy0p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Teenager performing in front of her iPhone as she records a blog post" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572065/original/file-20240130-15-38gy0p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572065/original/file-20240130-15-38gy0p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572065/original/file-20240130-15-38gy0p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572065/original/file-20240130-15-38gy0p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572065/original/file-20240130-15-38gy0p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572065/original/file-20240130-15-38gy0p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572065/original/file-20240130-15-38gy0p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">No regulation or oversight puts kidfluencers at risk of online abuse.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/search/kidinfluencer?image_type=photo">Red Fox Studio/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>What is clear however, is most young Australians do not transition from education or training to work, but instead, <a href="https://www.educationandemployers.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Erica-Smith.pdf">combine part-time work</a> and study, often for many years before reaching adulthood and working full-time.</p>
<p>Research suggests children are <a href="https://research.acer.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1033&context=lsay_research">more likely to work</a> if they are girls and from English-speaking backgrounds and from higher socioeconomic groups.</p>
<p>This may be explained by the gendered and classed preferences of the <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13676261.2020.1729965">service industry</a> which includes positions in fashion, retail and cafes where deferential, well-presented and engaging young employees are preferred.</p>
<p>Although there are some regulations restricting work in hazardous jobs, child workers in cafés and restaurants may still be expected to use dangerous equipment such as knives, hot ovens or deep fryers. Even when young people are aware of their <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/281946119_The_practical_potential_of_self-advocacy_for_improving_safety_outcomes_for_school-aged_workers">health and safety rights</a>, their capacity to redress violations may be limited.</p>
<p>Children want to work to gain skills and experience, enjoy social contact and earn money for discretionary spending. However, an estimated 10% work out of <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/26558655">financial necessity</a>, making vital contributions to low-income households.</p>
<h2>Legislation currently protecting working children</h2>
<p>In June 2023, Australia signed the <a href="https://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=normlexpub:12100:0::no::P12100_ilo_code:C138">International Labour Organization Minimum Age Convention 138</a>, obliging all jurisdictions to protect child rights and presenting a powerful case for strategies to promote positive early work experiences.</p>
<p>However, while Australia’s <a href="https://employsure.com.au/guides/fair-work-australia/what-is-the-fair-work-act/">Fair Work Act</a> contains clauses such as ensuring minimum wages for junior employees, it has an express exemption for children under 18, allowing states and territories to self-regulate.</p>
<p>Other laws relevant to children’s work prevent children being employed during school hours or restrict hazardous work such as scaffolding or crane and forklift operation. There are also restrictions on very young children participating in some forms of public entertainment and measures deterring underpayments.</p>
<h2>What changes are needed?</h2>
<p>Currently, Australian regulation and policies governing work for minors are not fit for purpose, a problem compounded by children’s limited knowledge of relevant rights and obligations.</p>
<p>There is an urgent need to develop new protections and where possible, make the current patchwork of Australian laws relevant to children’s work more uniform. Particular attention should be given to minimum starting ages, participation in risky occupations, working hours relating to age or schooling, and requirements for employers such as working with children checks.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572063/original/file-20240130-27-99ev9j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Young boy with back to the camera playing tennis" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572063/original/file-20240130-27-99ev9j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572063/original/file-20240130-27-99ev9j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572063/original/file-20240130-27-99ev9j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572063/original/file-20240130-27-99ev9j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572063/original/file-20240130-27-99ev9j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572063/original/file-20240130-27-99ev9j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572063/original/file-20240130-27-99ev9j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Young athletes may be subject to commercial contracts but these are unregulated.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/back-tennis-person-racket-game-fitness-2416593201">PeopleImages.com/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>Government and non-government agencies also have a role to protect young workers by setting responsive guidelines, codes and industry standards and implementing strategies to respond to problems.</p>
<p>There is no doubt children in some parts of the world are subjected to dangerous and exploitative practices that would rarely be seen in Australia.</p>
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<p>However, our current understanding of the diversity and quality of work experiences of children and adolescents in Australia and other industrialised countries is severely limited by longstanding data deficits. Addressing this problem can establish a platform from which Australia can call on all nations to end hazardous child labour. </p>
<p>The significance and urgency of reforming policy and practice is amplified by profound changes impacting the world of work in which young people participate including the deregulation of trading hours, growth in franchises and work that is increasingly managed via automated technologies. </p>
<p>Child and adolescent labour is integral to the economy, yet their work experiences are complex. Comprehensive reforms will help safeguard the current generation of young workers and ensure a future where their dignity, rights and well-being are respected and protected.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/221577/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Paula McDonald receives funding from the Australian Research Council. </span></em></p>Regulations protecting children in hazardous jobs are insufficient or non-existent, leaving, a significant part of the Australian workforce open to exploitation.Paula McDonald, Professor of Work and Organisation, Queensland University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1855662022-06-26T12:12:00Z2022-06-26T12:12:00ZAmid a red-hot summer job market, teenaged workers need to keep health and safety in mind<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/470865/original/file-20220624-15980-qmxx41.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C8%2C5482%2C3646&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Many seasonal businesses are struggling to find enough workers again this summer.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Matt Slocum)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>As a child and youth studies researcher, I’m interested in the relationship between teenagers and work. After two years of lockdowns that <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/youth-employment-summer-jobs-1.6018151">kept many teens from working</a>, the current labour shortage offers many <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/world/canada-teenagers-being-hired-by-businesses-to-tackle-labour-shortage/ar-AAYuSVJ">exciting job opportunities for them this summer</a>. This may be especially welcome news for those who have had a harder time finding work, such as younger and <a href="https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/people-color-employment-disparities-start-early">racialized teens</a>.</p>
<p>Grade eight student Miriam, the daughter of one of my colleagues, shared her excitement with me about entering the workforce. She is keen to draw on her babysitting experience in her new job as a junior counsellor at a summer day camp: </p>
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<p>“I feel excited but also nervous. I’ve never worked (in a formal job) before. But I know I’m lucky to get it… I think it will be cool and interesting but also hard and tiring. I think I’ll really like it and I know I’ll like making my own money and meeting new friends.”</p>
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<p>Early part-time work offers many opportunities for teens: earning money, <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-teenage-jobs-are-good-for-your-kids-86181">building skills and career networks</a>, <a href="https://tupress.temple.edu/book/1027">developing friendships</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1099-0860.2006.00030.x">fostering confidence and independence</a>. And teens themselves generally have <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0907568218758148">positive feelings about early, part-time work</a>.</p>
<h2>Young workers are vulnerable</h2>
<p>There are also issues that arise with early work, and a key one is health and safety. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0907568218758148">Young workers are particularly vulnerable</a> because they tend to do short-term work, often lack training and safety education, and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2006.10.024">may see injury as just “part of the job.”</a></p>
<p>Young workers are also in unequal relationships of power with employers, both as employees and because of their young age. They lack the confidence to speak up, and employers are less likely to listen to them when they raise concerns.<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2006.10.024">link text</a> </p>
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<p>Parents often feel positively about their children working, leading to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-14-1021">some downplaying potential risks</a>. Threads of Life, a Canadian charity that supports families after a workplace fatality, found that two-thirds of businesses in Canada plan to hire more young workers in 2022 than they have in the past two years, but <a href="https://threadsoflife.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Apr-18-2022-Media-Release-Draft-_APPROVED.pdf">only half have a safety program</a>.</p>
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<img alt="A teenage girl and a preschool aged girl colour with pencil crayons on a sofa." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/470840/original/file-20220624-15980-bj7skw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/470840/original/file-20220624-15980-bj7skw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/470840/original/file-20220624-15980-bj7skw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/470840/original/file-20220624-15980-bj7skw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/470840/original/file-20220624-15980-bj7skw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/470840/original/file-20220624-15980-bj7skw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/470840/original/file-20220624-15980-bj7skw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Part-time work offers opportunities for teens to earn money, build skills and career networks, develop friendships and foster confidence and independence.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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<p>Labour laws are provincial and vary across Canada. In most places, children between 14 and 16 can work, with limitations on what kinds of work they can do, how long they can work and at what times (especially during school hours). Usually for young teens who are 12 or 13, a permit is needed. Teens must be 17 or 18 to do more dangerous work, such as logging or mining. Rules tend to be more lax when a child works in a family business. </p>
<p>Notably, in <a href="https://www.saskatchewan.ca/business/hire-train-and-manage-employees/youth-in-the-workplace/minimum-age-and-workplace-restrictions">Saskatchewan</a> and <a href="https://www.gov.mb.ca/labour/standards/doc,young-workers,factsheet.html">Manitoba</a>, children between 13 and 15 must complete a Young Worker Readiness Certificate Course before working. <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/quebec-young-workers-safety-labour-law-review-1.6490172">Québec is currently re-evaluating its laws around children’s work</a> in the face of rising accidents among teens under 16, and the B.C. government <a href="https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2021LBR0027-001400">recently toughened up their rules around early work</a>. </p>
<h2>Teens’ experiences with work</h2>
<p>My research team conducted <a href="https://brocku.ca/social-sciences/child-and-youth-studies/people-in-our-department/rebecca-raby/first-jobs/#1582582952382-0cae60ea-1801">in-depth interviews with young workers under 16</a> in a range of jobs in Ontario and B.C. We also conducted over 200 surveys with grade nine students in Ontario and held 14 focus groups with some of these students. We sought their experiences, thoughts on early work and how they might respond to work-related challenges. </p>
<p>We learned that, while Canadian governments rarely collect data on working children under 15, many young teens work. They babysit, deliver papers, ump baseball games, sell products and do many other jobs. A small portion even work very long hours. Others want to work, but are unsure how to find a job.</p>
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<img alt="A child riding a bicycle and holding a newspaper" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/470838/original/file-20220624-26-8wkd5r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/470838/original/file-20220624-26-8wkd5r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/470838/original/file-20220624-26-8wkd5r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/470838/original/file-20220624-26-8wkd5r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/470838/original/file-20220624-26-8wkd5r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/470838/original/file-20220624-26-8wkd5r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/470838/original/file-20220624-26-8wkd5r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Many young teens work by babysitting, delivering papers, umpiring baseball games and more.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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<p>We asked the students about how they would handle unsafe work conditions. Some said they would ask peers for guidance. Given that many teens have had little work experience over the last few years, this inclination suggests that teens will be talking to other inexperienced peers. </p>
<p>A number of our participants were also reluctant to say no to unsafe work and did not know they have the right to refuse unsafe work. Most had not yet taken the Ontario grade 10 secondary course that addresses workplace rights and safety. </p>
<h2>Parents need to protect teens</h2>
<p>It is exciting that young workers have the chance to start early employment this summer, but many may be insufficiently prepared. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0907568218758148">Parents play an important role in supporting their working children</a>, from taking them to work to counselling them when work intrudes on school. </p>
<p>Parents need to ask and advise about safety and fairness in their children’s new workplaces. Employers need to listen to young workers’ concerns and ensure that new workers receive sufficient, repeated safety information. Young people themselves need to pay attention to safety precautions, and bravely speak up if a situation feels unsafe or unfair.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/185566/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rebecca Raby has received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Brock University's Council for Research in the Social Sciences, Brock University's Social Justice Research Institute; and Western University's Faculty of Social Science.</span></em></p>Young workers are particularly vulnerable in the workplace because they tend to do short-term work, often lack training and safety education, and may see injury as just “part of the job.”Rebecca Raby, Professor in Child and Youth Studies, Brock UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1518412021-01-25T00:01:15Z2021-01-25T00:01:15ZAs heatwaves become more extreme, which jobs are riskiest?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/380112/original/file-20210122-17-7ebqcc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=6%2C13%2C4660%2C3092&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Heat is <a href="https://theconversation.com/heat-kills-we-need-consistency-in-the-way-we-measure-these-deaths-120500">more dangerous</a> than the cold in most Australian regions. About 2% of deaths in Australia between 2006 and 2017 were <a href="https://rdcu.be/bQKuF">associated with the heat</a>, and the estimate increases to more than 4% in the northern and central parts of the country.</p>
<p>In fact, Australian death records underestimate the association between heat and mortality <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(20)30100-5">at least 50-fold</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/15459624.2020.1834112">chronic heat stress</a> is also <a href="https://doi.org/10.1175/WCAS-D-17-0084.1">under-reported</a>. </p>
<p>The risk is higher in some regions but where you live is not the only factor that matters. When it comes to heat, some jobs are much more dangerous, and put workers at higher risk of injury.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/heat-kills-we-need-consistency-in-the-way-we-measure-these-deaths-120500">Heat kills. We need consistency in the way we measure these deaths</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Who is most at risk?</h2>
<p>One <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0013935118306534?casa_token=U11VyIjXBJ4AAAAA:CvI5lsMIaPSjIoWEjuoKGJbv2kiXblGhuN19NOnkr0BC8tHbFyFphqyazaocuoNLoG_YR9zx9xNJ">study</a> compared workers’ compensation claims in Adelaide from 2003 to 2013. It found workers at higher risk during extremely hot temperatures included:</p>
<ul>
<li>animal and horticultural workers </li>
<li>cleaners </li>
<li>food service workers</li>
<li>metal workers </li>
<li>warehouse workers.</li>
</ul>
<p>The authors noted hot weather “poses a greater problem than cold weather. This is of particular concern as the number of hot days is projected to increase”. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="InstagramEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/CKdFoGrhkoi/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link","accessToken":"127105130696839|b4b75090c9688d81dfd245afe6052f20"}"></div></p>
<p>Another <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41370-019-0138-1">study</a> involving many of the same researchers looked at the impact of heatwaves on work-related injuries and illnesses in Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane. It found vulnerable groups included: </p>
<ul>
<li>males</li>
<li>workers aged under 34 years</li>
<li>apprentice/trainee workers</li>
<li>labour hire workers</li>
<li>those employed in medium and heavy strength occupations, and</li>
<li>workers from outdoor and indoor industrial sectors.</li>
</ul>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/380116/original/file-20210122-15-1pz80zg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/380116/original/file-20210122-15-1pz80zg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/380116/original/file-20210122-15-1pz80zg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/380116/original/file-20210122-15-1pz80zg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/380116/original/file-20210122-15-1pz80zg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/380116/original/file-20210122-15-1pz80zg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/380116/original/file-20210122-15-1pz80zg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/380116/original/file-20210122-15-1pz80zg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">When it comes to heat, some jobs are much more dangerous than others, and put workers at higher risk of injury.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/26386164?seq=2#metadata_info_tab_contents">study</a> of work-related injuries in Melbourne between 2002 and 2012 found</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Young workers, male workers and workers engaged in heavy physical work are at increased risk of injury on hot days, and a wider range of worker subgroups are vulnerable to injury following a warm night. In light of climate change projections, this information is important for informing injury prevention strategies.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>A <a href="https://oem.bmj.com/content/71/4/246.full">study</a> using data for Adelaide between 2001 and 2010 concluded male workers and young workers aged under 24 were at high risk of work-related injuries in hot environments. The link between temperature and daily injury claims was strong for labourers, tradespeople and <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/0/F4B78895FA5A8164CA25697E00184D53?opendocument">intermediate production and transport workers</a> (who do jobs such as operating plant, machinery, vehicles and other equipment to transport passengers and goods).</p>
<p>Industries with <a href="https://oem.bmj.com/content/71/4/246.full">greater risk</a> were agriculture, forestry and fishing, construction, as well as electricity, gas and water.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/380119/original/file-20210122-23-15cnpd6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Farm workers toil in the sun." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/380119/original/file-20210122-23-15cnpd6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/380119/original/file-20210122-23-15cnpd6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/380119/original/file-20210122-23-15cnpd6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/380119/original/file-20210122-23-15cnpd6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/380119/original/file-20210122-23-15cnpd6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/380119/original/file-20210122-23-15cnpd6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/380119/original/file-20210122-23-15cnpd6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Animal and horticultural workers are at risk during heatwaves.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A systematic <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2021.106384">review and meta-analysis</a> of 24 studies on the links between heat exposure and occupational injuries found</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Young workers (age < 35 years), male workers and workers in agriculture, forestry or fishing, construction and manufacturing industries were at high risk of occupational injuries during hot temperatures. Further young workers (age < 35 years), male workers and those working in electricity, gas and water and manufacturing industries were found to be at high risk of occupational injuries during heatwaves.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The fact that apprentices or trainees had greater heat-related injuries in the workplace may surprise many, as heat tolerance deteriorates with age. Exposure to labour intensive work, less experience in managing heat stress, and a propensity to avoid acknowledging they’re affected by heat may contribute to the higher risk for younger workers.</p>
<h2>Other factors that increase risk</h2>
<p>A <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1353829218301205">growing body of international research</a> shows extreme heat can cause severe health issues. </p>
<p>Other factors that increase vulnerability to heat include age (especially being older or very young), low-socioeconomic status, and homelessness. Regions also matter; there are <a href="https://rdcu.be/bQKuF">differences between climate zones</a> and increased heat-related morbidity in rural settings. </p>
<p>Underlying health conditions <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4454966/">increase the risk</a> of heat-related illness and death. These health conditions include </p>
<ul>
<li>diabetes</li>
<li>high blood pressure</li>
<li>chronic kidney disease </li>
<li>heart conditions and</li>
<li>respiratory conditions. </li>
</ul>
<p>Chronic heat exposure is dangerous and has been linked to serious health problems, including <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1907859">chronic and irreversible kidney injury</a>. A <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2018.06.008">range of studies</a> have linked higher temperatures with increases in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhealeco.2019.102240">suicide rates</a>, emergency department visits for mental illness, and poor mental health.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/380125/original/file-20210122-15-1y2cj9g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="An apprentice talks with his mentor" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/380125/original/file-20210122-15-1y2cj9g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/380125/original/file-20210122-15-1y2cj9g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/380125/original/file-20210122-15-1y2cj9g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/380125/original/file-20210122-15-1y2cj9g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/380125/original/file-20210122-15-1y2cj9g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/380125/original/file-20210122-15-1y2cj9g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/380125/original/file-20210122-15-1y2cj9g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Younger workers and apprentices may be at greater risk of heat-related injuries in the workplace.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>We need to better understand the problem</h2>
<p>Most of the studies mentioned here focused on worker’s compensation claims. That data includes only those injuries for which compensation claims were actually made. In reality, the problem is likely more widespread.</p>
<p>The Australian studies primarily focused on the milder climatic regions of Australia, but the rate of injuries and ill health is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2021.106384">greater in hot and humid regions</a>. And the dangers may be worse in regional and remote areas, particularly when and where workforces are transient.</p>
<p>We also need more research on the relationship between the length of exposure to higher temperatures (in hours or days) and worker health.</p>
<p>National studies or studies in other regions should assess whether rates of injury differ by occupation, climate zone and remoteness. Capturing data on all types and severity of workplace injuries (not just those that led to a compensation claim) is crucial to understanding the true extent of the problem.</p>
<p>As the climate changes and <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/state-of-the-climate/australias-changing-climate.shtml">heatwaves become more frequent and severe</a>, it’s vital we do more to understand who is most vulnerable and how we can reduce their risk.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/caravan-communities-older-underinsured-and-overexposed-to-cyclones-storms-and-disasters-151840">Caravan communities: older, underinsured and overexposed to cyclones, storms and disasters</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p><em>This story is part of a series The Conversation is running on the nexus between disaster, disadvantage and resilience. It is supported by a philanthropic grant from the Paul Ramsay foundation. You can read the rest of the stories <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/disaster-and-resilience-series-97537">here</a>.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/151841/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Matt Brearley is managing director of the heat stress consultancy Thermal Hyperformance. Some of his research examining heat-exposed workers is funded by organisations that employ such workers. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Simon Quilty and Thomas Longden do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>As the climate changes and heatwaves become more frequent and severe, it’s vital we do more to understand who is most vulnerable and how we can reduce their risk.Thomas Longden, Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National UniversityMatt Brearley, Thermal Physiologist, National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre; University Fellow, Charles Darwin UniversitySimon Quilty, Senior Staff Specialist, Alice Springs Hospital. Honorary, Australian National UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1432772020-07-24T06:37:38Z2020-07-24T06:37:38ZYes Ita, younger workers might actually be less resilient. But all workers should be thanked<p>Young workers <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/buttrose-says-millennial-workers-lack-resilience-and-need-hugging-20200722-p55ekh.html">lack resilience</a> and “need hugging”, according to eminent Australian Ita Buttrose. </p>
<p>This week the 78-year old ABC chair told a forum of the Australia-United Kingdom Chamber of Commerce:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>They’re very keen on being thanked and they almost need hugging. That’s before COVID of course, we can’t hug any more. But they almost need hugging […] they seem to lack the resilience that I remember from my younger days.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Not surprisingly, many young people have been <a href="https://junkee.com/ita-buttrose-millennial-resilience-hugs/263083#:%7E:text=Ita%20Buttrose%20always%20reminds%20me,they%20keep%20asking%20for%20hugs.%22&text=%E2%80%9CThey're%20very%20keen%20on,but%20they%20almost%20need%20hugging.%E2%80%9D">unimpressed</a> by her comments. They’ve found older allies too, such as 80-year-old department store king <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/gerry-harvey-goes-into-bat-for-the-youth-after-need-a-hug-comments-20200723-p55etd.html?btis">Gerry Norman</a>, who said every generation believed younger people weren’t as tough.</p>
<p>So are younger people really less resilient at work? Or is this simply an <a href="https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2019/11/12/20950235/ok-boomer-kids-these-days-psychology">example</a> of older people holding negative stereotypes about younger people? </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/young-workers-expect-their-older-colleagues-to-get-out-of-the-way-73194">Young workers expect their older colleagues to get out of the way</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Fortunately we have decades of research on personality change, mental health and even COVID-19 to answer this question. </p>
<p>Most research does clearly indicate younger people are – on average – less resilient than older people. They are more prone to stress, less emotionally stable and less <a href="https://theconversation.com/as-work-gets-more-ambiguous-younger-generations-may-be-less-equipped-for-it-105674">tolerant of ambiguity</a> than older people. </p>
<p>What drives these age-related differences is less clear. It is partly to do with maturity. People become more resilient as they age. A baby-boomer is likely to be more resilient than a millennial by the sheer fact of being older.</p>
<p>The bigger question is whether young people now are also less resilient than previous generations at the same age. On this the jury is still out, though some evidence does support Buttrose’s imputations. </p>
<h2>A correlation, but it’s weak</h2>
<p>In <a href="https://theconversation.com/as-work-gets-more-ambiguous-younger-generations-may-be-less-equipped-for-it-105674">previous published research</a> I have found younger people cope less well with work ambiguity, and more easily experience stress in response. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/as-work-gets-more-ambiguous-younger-generations-may-be-less-equipped-for-it-105674">As work gets more ambiguous, younger generations may be less equipped for it</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>In recent months I have been collecting data on how Australian workers are coping with COVID-19 work changes. Preliminary analysis indicates younger people are more stressed and less satisfied than older workers – and these results are not due to the extra pressures experienced by young people (financial strains, having young children, etc). </p>
<p>However, it is important to note that while numerous studies confirm a “statistically significant” relationship between age and resilience, it’s comparatively weak. </p>
<p>In my data the correlations range from 0.1 to 0.3 (0 being no correlation and 1 being a perfect correlation). This indicated that while younger workers, on average, were less resilient than older workers, there were many exceptions. Some of the most resilient workers were young, and some of the least resilient were above 60. </p>
<p>So a young person can still be highly resilient.</p>
<h2>Comparisons to past generations</h2>
<p>As noted, the jury is still out on whether young workers today are less resilient than young workers in the past. </p>
<p>This is in part due to the methodological challenge of disentangling maturation from cohort effects, along with reconciling findings from studies conducted in different countries. </p>
<p>There is emerging research, however, that <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2000-16701-013?doi=1">seeks to disentangle</a> the maturation and cohort effects and suggests younger workers now are less resilient than young people used to be.</p>
<p>US psychology researchers Kenneth Stewart and Paul Bernhardt, for example, compared 2004-08 university students with pre-1987 undergraduates. They found the 2000s cohort had lower psychological health and higher narcissism – traits associated with <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Paul_Bernhardt/publication/230683045_Comparing_Millennials_to_pre-1987_students_and_with_one_another/links/54ed05470cf27fbfd771f23d/Comparing-Millennials-to-pre-1987-students-and-with-one-another.pdf">low resilience</a>. </p>
<p>Cross-sectional studies from Australia have reported similar patterns. Neuroticism <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2006-21634-012">seems to be increasing</a> in younger generations, as does the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/kpm.298">need for recognition</a>, whereas optimism is <a href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=Generational+differences+in+personality+and+motivation%3A+Do+they+exist+and+what+are+the+implications+for+the+workplace&btnG=">falling</a>.</p>
<h2>Products of coddling?</h2>
<p>One explanation for why resilience might be declining in young people is outlined in the 2018 book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Coddling-American-Mind-Intentions-Generation/dp/0735224897">The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure</a> by psychologist Jonathan Haidt and co-author Greg Lukianoff. It argues good intentions from adults and three “great untruths” have hurt young people’s resilience. The untruths are:</p>
<ol>
<li>what doesn’t kill you makes you weaker</li>
<li>always trust your feelings</li>
<li>life is a battle between good and evil people.</li>
</ol>
<p>Lukianoff and Haidt suggest these messages (from overprotective parents and others) have reduced children’s exposure to the challenges and stressors they need to develop and flourish. They have also increased the tendency to engage in black-and white thinking.</p>
<p>The authors make a well-reasoned case consistent with much of the existing evidence. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/is-cancel-culture-silencing-open-debate-there-are-risks-to-shutting-down-opinions-we-disagree-with-142377">Is cancel culture silencing open debate? There are risks to shutting down opinions we disagree with</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Improving workplaces</h2>
<p>Buttrose noted younger workers “like more transparency” and “need more reassurance and they need to be thanked”. </p>
<p>But let’s distinguish these issues from the question of resilience. Employees of all ages appreciate recognition and <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.2307/2666999">psychological safety</a>. Such expectations are not a sign a worker lacks resilience.</p>
<p>So yes, it appears younger people today are less resilient than previous generations. But generational differences in resilience are small and probably exist due to a range of factors young people have little control over. </p>
<p>We should take care not to write off a range of effective workplace practices as unnecessary actions to appease non-resilient young people.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/143277/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Peter O'Connor does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Ita Buttrose may be right. The evidence does suggest younger workers are less resilient. But we shouldn’t make too much of it.Peter O'Connor, Professor, Business and Management, Queensland University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1391752020-06-09T22:53:13Z2020-06-09T22:53:13ZYoung workers can thrive after coronavirus layoffs by leaving big cities<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/340200/original/file-20200607-176575-1sm03kt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C123%2C4859%2C2480&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Young people have labour market advantages that will allow them to survive the pandemic if they keep an open mind about location and job offers.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Piqsels)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Workers under age 30 have been the first to lose their jobs or be placed on unpaid leave during the COVID-19 pandemic. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.citynews1130.com/2020/05/10/youth-unemployment-covid/">The younger the worker, the higher the unemployment rate</a> in May 2020. The rate was 10 per cent for those aged 31 to 65, but 24 per cent for those under the age of 30. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/340630/original/file-20200609-21186-nwz93h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/340630/original/file-20200609-21186-nwz93h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=436&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340630/original/file-20200609-21186-nwz93h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=436&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340630/original/file-20200609-21186-nwz93h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=436&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340630/original/file-20200609-21186-nwz93h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=548&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340630/original/file-20200609-21186-nwz93h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=548&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340630/original/file-20200609-21186-nwz93h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=548&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">(Canadian Labour Force Survey, StatCan)</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>And among those still employed, the young were nearly twice as likely to be on unpaid leave, according to the <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/200605/dq200605a-eng.htm">May 2020 Labour Force Survey</a>.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, young people possess some labour market advantages. </p>
<p>A large fraction of their skills can be readily transferred to other jobs. Young workers tend not to have small business debts or family obligations. They are unlikely to own homes that must be sold to take up employment in other locations. </p>
<p>Young people also tend to be more physically able to take up seasonal natural resource jobs, which are often lucrative. What’s more, this age group is less likely to have the pre-existing medical conditions that seem to make COVID-19 more deadly. </p>
<h2>Spent fewer weeks on the job</h2>
<p>Young workers have generally worked at their jobs for shorter periods than older employees. The Labour Force Survey showed workers under age 30 had been with their current workplace for an average of 31 weeks. Those aged 31 to 65 had worked at the same place for an average of 115 weeks. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/340637/original/file-20200609-21186-13szlt5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/340637/original/file-20200609-21186-13szlt5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=436&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340637/original/file-20200609-21186-13szlt5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=436&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340637/original/file-20200609-21186-13szlt5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=436&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340637/original/file-20200609-21186-13szlt5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=548&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340637/original/file-20200609-21186-13szlt5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=548&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340637/original/file-20200609-21186-13szlt5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=548&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">(Canadian Labour Force Survey, StatCan)</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Prior to the pandemic, young workers also spent less time unemployed when they did lose jobs. </p>
<p>In April 2019, the average amount of time an unemployed youth had spent without work was about 11 weeks. Unemployed workers aged 30 or older had spent nearly twice as many weeks searching, on average. </p>
<hr>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/employing-youth-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic-is-a-good-investment-136559">Employing youth during the coronavirus pandemic is a good investment</a>
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</em>
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<p>Even in a labour market upended by COVID-19, the ways <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-56252-0_2">economists think about matching jobs to workers</a> are useful for predicting what might happen to young people’s job prospects. </p>
<p>The amount of time a person spends unemployed is often thought of as an outcome predicted by two variables: the lowest wage a person would be willing to accept and the rate of job offers. When a person receives job offers at a higher rate, and when a person is willing to accept a lower wage, the time spent unemployed will be lower. </p>
<h2>New jobs will be created</h2>
<p>So how does this help us understand the potential responses young people might have to the current situation?</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/340197/original/file-20200607-176546-xrtduj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C382%2C6720%2C3913&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/340197/original/file-20200607-176546-xrtduj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C382%2C6720%2C3913&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/340197/original/file-20200607-176546-xrtduj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340197/original/file-20200607-176546-xrtduj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340197/original/file-20200607-176546-xrtduj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340197/original/file-20200607-176546-xrtduj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340197/original/file-20200607-176546-xrtduj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340197/original/file-20200607-176546-xrtduj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Even though they’ve been hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic, young workers have some advantages when it comes to finding alternate work.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Unsplash)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The arrival of the pandemic suddenly destroyed <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/11-627-m/11-627-m2020028-eng.htm">many jobs</a>, but it’s also created some new ones and will continue to do so. These new job vacancies might be very far geographically — and psychologically — from what young people had envisioned themselves doing in the summer of 2020. </p>
<p>The emergency safety nets provided by COVID-19 benefits reduce the financial risk to youth of leaving big cities. Young people might have an unexpected chance to take advantage of access to endless nature and low population density in places where new job opportunities arise.</p>
<p>Money received under CERB or Emergency Student Benefits (CESB) goes a lot further in less densely populated places. This also makes moving out of big cities attractive. A two-bedroom apartment in some <a href="https://realestate.mitula.ca/detalle/843/4330127591190706178/2/1/for-rent-apartments-goderich?search_terms=for+rent+apartments+goderich&page=1&pos=2&t_sec=1&t_or=2&t_pvid=95e5b47a-7112-4420-942b-ead6c826bd74">small cities can be rented for less than $1,000 per month</a>. A three-bedroom house near Lake Superior in <a href="https://realestate.mitula.ca/for-rent-houses-thunder-bay">Thunder Bay, Ont.</a>, can be rented for the same price.</p>
<p>There are currently fewer job vacancies in the cities and in sectors that have traditionally employed young people during the summer months, such as retail, accommodation and tourism. </p>
<h2>Workers needed</h2>
<p>Between April and May 2020, 47 per cent of new jobs in Canada were outside of the country’s nine major metropolitan areas. That could be because service jobs that are compatible with physical distancing and people’s holiday plans might not exist in cities this year. </p>
<p>Physical jobs that must take place outside can be done as usual, because physical distancing has always been built in. Yet, as of late May, many seasonal resource-based industries across the country were still advertising for summer workers. </p>
<p>In many cases, industries need to replace <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/covid-19-seafood-processing-temporary-foreign-workers-local-hiring-1.5570176">their regular workforce of international workers, who will not arrive this year</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/340199/original/file-20200607-176554-14et7e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/340199/original/file-20200607-176554-14et7e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340199/original/file-20200607-176554-14et7e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340199/original/file-20200607-176554-14et7e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340199/original/file-20200607-176554-14et7e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=500&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340199/original/file-20200607-176554-14et7e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=500&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340199/original/file-20200607-176554-14et7e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=500&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Young workers in Atlantic Canada are being employed this year at seafood plants processing lobsters.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The challenge for employers and policy-makers is to get young people to accept job offers when they can receive emergency these benefits without working. </p>
<p>Younger workers do appear to be relatively likely to be in new jobs. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/340639/original/file-20200609-21191-1ryak2f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/340639/original/file-20200609-21191-1ryak2f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=436&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340639/original/file-20200609-21191-1ryak2f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=436&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340639/original/file-20200609-21191-1ryak2f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=436&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340639/original/file-20200609-21191-1ryak2f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=548&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340639/original/file-20200609-21191-1ryak2f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=548&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340639/original/file-20200609-21191-1ryak2f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=548&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Canadian Labour Force Survey, StatCan.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Still, anecdotal evidence suggests that agricultural sector employers have had extra problems hiring university students this year. A post-secondary student can live with parents and <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/economic-response-plan.html">collect $1,250 without working</a>, and this is attractive for some. </p>
<p>Grocery stores everywhere must also compete with these emergency benefits when hiring new employees to deliver groceries.</p>
<h2>Benefits to moving out of big cities</h2>
<p>Yet the benefits of moving out of town for a job may persist for some time. With post-secondary studies going remote in the fall, many young people may be able to reside and work part-time in new locations beyond the summer months. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/340198/original/file-20200607-176542-smi1en.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/340198/original/file-20200607-176542-smi1en.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340198/original/file-20200607-176542-smi1en.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340198/original/file-20200607-176542-smi1en.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340198/original/file-20200607-176542-smi1en.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340198/original/file-20200607-176542-smi1en.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340198/original/file-20200607-176542-smi1en.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Young people who can move to smaller cities will pay considerably less rent.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Piqsels)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Job skills must be practised to be maintained and improved. For those with the majority of their working lives ahead of them, this is particularly important. </p>
<p>Being flexible about both location and the nature of employment will help youth make the most of the current challenging labour market situation. </p>
<p>The new and different skills learned will be of value in many different job situations encountered in their future working lives. And keeping some connection to the paid workforce will be the best insurance against permanent <a href="https://www.iza.org/publications/dp/6198/scarring-effects-of-unemployment">scarring effects</a> of being young adults during the pandemic.</p>
<p>An important question asked of young workers in future job interviews might be:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“What did you do during the COVID-19 pandemic?”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Hopefully there will be a lot of inspired answers.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/139175/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Louise Grogan receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. </span></em></p>Being flexible about both location and the nature of employment will help youth make the most of the current challenging labour market situation due to COVID-19.Louise Grogan, Professor of Economics, University of GuelphLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1365592020-05-03T15:26:36Z2020-05-03T15:26:36ZEmploying youth during the coronavirus pandemic is a good investment<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/330231/original/file-20200423-47794-1iwqivr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C1810%2C1353&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Keeping young Canadians working during the global pandemic is important for a host of reasons.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Pixabay)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The recent announcement of an <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/cerb-emergency-benefits-trudeau-1.5532767">extension of the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) to part-time workers</a> is good news for young people in Canada. This may prove to be even more important to young people’s well-being than the subsequent announcement by the federal government that students in higher education can receive <a href="https://pm.gc.ca/en/news/news-releases/2020/04/22/support-students-and-new-grads-affected-covid-19">as much as $1,750 this summer</a>. Skills that cannot be learned in the classroom can be developed through continued participation in the paid labour market. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/200409/dq200409a-eng.htm">Canadian Labour Force Survey, conducted in the third week in March</a>, shows that about 30 per cent of workers under aged 30 were employed part-time in their primary job in March 2020, compared to only 13 per cent among those over 30.</p>
<p>For those at the beginning of their working lives, the long-term impact of earnings lost to COVID-19 could be particularly large. Gaining work experience during the pandemic will help Canada’s young people to obtain the skills they’ll need in a post-pandemic world. </p>
<p>Young people will still need the communication and organizational skills that part-time work has traditionally provided them. They will need to learn how to work in teams, to manage their time and to accept guidance. These skills need to be learned by continuous practice. The incentive to practise these skills is high when work is paid.</p>
<p>Young people tend to be concentrated in a few key sectors of the Canadian labour market. In March 2020, the retail sector employed 18 per cent of workers under age 30, and the accommodation and food services sector a further 15 per cent. Workers older than 30 made up only five per cent of those employed in the sector prior to COVID-19. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/330212/original/file-20200423-47820-14q32to.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C270%2C6016%2C3692&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/330212/original/file-20200423-47820-14q32to.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/330212/original/file-20200423-47820-14q32to.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/330212/original/file-20200423-47820-14q32to.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/330212/original/file-20200423-47820-14q32to.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/330212/original/file-20200423-47820-14q32to.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/330212/original/file-20200423-47820-14q32to.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Many Canadian young people work in the accommodation and food services sector.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Unsplash)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Students who are completing their winter semesters are now facing the sudden end of on-campus jobs and a much-reduced market for summer jobs. Many students lost campus or other part-time jobs with the closure of restaurants, hotels and all recreational facilities towards the end of March. </p>
<p>Part-time work may be the best way to protect young people from the long-term labour market consequences of COVID-19. Because young people have relatively little work experience, losing the opportunity to obtain on-the-job skills may have more permanent consequences for their earnings potential. </p>
<p>The on-the-job learning curve is steepest at the beginning of working lives. To mitigate the long-term consequences of COVID-19 for labour productivity, this age group needs to be given particular support to continue working during the pandemic in essential jobs.</p>
<h2>Critical years</h2>
<p>There are also non-economic reasons why young people need strong support. Some <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.57.3.416">social psychologists</a> consider the years between 18 and 25 to be critical for the lifelong formation of societal views. Evidence from the United States suggests that regional recessions in the 1970s had <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/restud/rdt040">long-term effects on opinions about the efficacy of government</a> on respondents who experienced economic downturns in this age group. The additional psychological effects of social isolation and a pause in skills development may be particularly long-lasting for youth.</p>
<p>Recent history shows the need to protect the well-being of populations facing sudden joblessness and great uncertainty. The fall of the Soviet Union at the end of 1991 resulted in profoundly negative effects on <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2013.05.007">the well-being</a> and <a href="https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/0895330053147921">mortality</a> of Soviet citizens. Social supports evaporated overnight. The huge declines in real incomes and increases in uncertainty caused by this event affected <a href="https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/26e5/43ae5680b2f542c7ec6c894cf4cf34bf282f.pdf,%20https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305750X98000977">life expectancy</a> in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0305-750X(98)00113-2">former Soviet Union</a> countries for <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/10826080500521664">many years</a>. </p>
<h2>Young workers affected immediately</h2>
<p>A comparison of usual-versus-actual hours worked in the March Labour Force Survey shows that COVID-19 was already having a pronounced effect on sectors employing youth even before non-essential businesses were told to close.</p>
<p>Among those working in accommodation and food services, hours of work in the week between March 15th to 21st were reduced from an average of 30 to less than 20. Those in retail reported usual work hours of 32 and actual of about 27.</p>
<p>Workers in other sectors also reported reductions in average hours worked in the March Labour Force Survey, but these were less dramatic than those for accommodation and food services. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/330211/original/file-20200423-47841-scwaml.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/330211/original/file-20200423-47841-scwaml.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/330211/original/file-20200423-47841-scwaml.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/330211/original/file-20200423-47841-scwaml.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/330211/original/file-20200423-47841-scwaml.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/330211/original/file-20200423-47841-scwaml.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/330211/original/file-20200423-47841-scwaml.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">The loss of hours was dramatic in March for those in the food services sector.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Pixabay)</span></span>
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<p>For example, in public administration, the average actual hours worked were reduced from 32 to 27, and in manufacturing, actual hours were on average 29 versus normal hours of 35. Those in mining and extractive industries and in agriculture also reported significant differences between normal and actual hours.</p>
<p>That 10-hour difference between normal and actual hours worked in accommodation and food services will have been all the more keenly felt because these workers were relatively low paid. Average earnings were just above $16 an hour in this sector, and about $20 an hour in retail. </p>
<p>In durable goods manufacturing, hourly wages were about $29 an hour, similar to the average wages of those in health care and social assistance.</p>
<h2>CERB will help</h2>
<p>Now that the CERB allows people to work part-time without becoming ineligible, many young people will be incentivized to work in jobs for which demand has increased during the COVID-19 shutdown. </p>
<p>This could mean working part-time to deliver groceries, medicines or other online orders, or working part-time from home. </p>
<p>As well, some may work in the health sector, may take on cleaning jobs, provide logistical support for COVID-19 testing or learn while on the job to perform other essential functions.</p>
<p>Even if these jobs aren’t well-paid, the support of CERB will keep these young people investing in their future.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/136559/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Now that Canadian youth can work part-time without becoming ineligible for government assistance, many will be incentivized to work in jobs in increased demand during the COVID-19 shutdown.Louise Grogan, Professor of Economics, University of GuelphLucia Costanzo, Data Analyst, Researcher, University of GuelphLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1205872019-07-29T20:24:37Z2019-07-29T20:24:37ZOver 50% of young Australian adults still live with their parents – and the numbers are climbing faster for women<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/285970/original/file-20190729-43136-vp0uw3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=33%2C0%2C7315%2C4912&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">More than 60% of Victorian young adults live with their parents, followed by 56% in New South Wales and about 53% in the other four states. In Queensland, the proportion of young adults living at home rose from 31% in 2001 to 52% in 2017.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The <a href="https://melbourneinstitute.unimelb.edu.au/hilda/publications/hilda-statistical-reports">latest Housing Income and Labour Dynamics (HILDA) Survey data</a> confirm a sustained trend towards young adults staying in the family home longer.</p>
<p>The HILDA Survey tells the story of the same group of Australians over the course of their lives. Starting in 2001, the survey now tracks more than 17,500 people in 9,500 households.</p>
<p>In 2017, 56% of men aged 18 to 29 lived with one or both parents, up from 47% in 2001. More strikingly, over the same period, the proportion of women aged 18 to 29 living with their parents rose from 36% to 54%.</p>
<img src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/static_files/files/668/young-people.gif?1564108309" width="100%">
<p>Growth has been particularly strong among women in their early to mid 20s. For example, in 2001, 30% of women aged 22 to 25 were living in the parental home, while in 2017, 58% were doing so. In other words, the gap between young women and young men is shrinking.</p>
<p>Traditionally, women have partnered and had children at younger ages than men. That’s linked to the fact that women are more likely, on average, to leave the parental home at a younger age than men.</p>
<p>The tendency for women to marry and have children at younger ages still exists, but it no longer translates to a greater propensity of young adult women to be living apart from their parents.</p>
<p>So what’s the average age that young people move out? It’s complicated. In our report, we did consider the average age of moving out – but looking at it this way means you’re only considering young adults who have <em>already</em> moved out. For women, this was 22.1 in 2001 and 24.2 in 2017. For men, it was 23.1 in 2001 and 23.5 in 2017. </p>
<p>But this doesn’t accurately convey the magnitude of change. A growing proportion of young adults have not moved out at all. Consequently, the average age of moving out is considerably higher and has grown more than these numbers suggest.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/hilda-survey-reveals-striking-gender-and-age-divide-in-financial-literacy-test-yourself-with-this-quiz-100451">HILDA Survey reveals striking gender and age divide in financial literacy. Test yourself with this quiz</a>
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<h2>Rate is high in Victoria, growing fast in Queensland</h2>
<p>The trend is happening right across the country, although there are regional differences. </p>
<p>Comparing across the states, over 60% of Victorian young adults live with their parents, followed by 56% in New South Wales and approximately 53% in the other four states. </p>
<p>However, Queensland has experienced higher growth compared with most of the rest of the country, the proportion of young adults living at home rising from 31% in 2001 to 52% in 2017.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/285977/original/file-20190729-43149-1y20m5o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/285977/original/file-20190729-43149-1y20m5o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/285977/original/file-20190729-43149-1y20m5o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/285977/original/file-20190729-43149-1y20m5o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/285977/original/file-20190729-43149-1y20m5o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/285977/original/file-20190729-43149-1y20m5o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/285977/original/file-20190729-43149-1y20m5o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/285977/original/file-20190729-43149-1y20m5o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">A growing proportion of young adults have not moved out at all.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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<h2>Moving out is more likely if you’re young in a small town</h2>
<p>Looking at the country versus the city, the propensity to be living in the parental home is, perhaps surprisingly, relatively similar in non-urban areas compared with the major cities. </p>
<p>It is towns and cities of less than 100,000 that stand out as having lower rates of living with one’s parents. This is consistent with housing costs being lower in those regions compared with the major urban centres.</p>
<p>Housing costs are also relatively low in non-urban areas, so you might think that the proportion of young adults living with their parents should also be lower in these regions. But young people in the country tend to move to the city, so they show up in the data as living in urban areas.</p>
<p>There has been a slight increase in women moving back into the parental home, particularly among those aged in their early 20s. However, the data tell us that most of the growth in young people living with parents has been among those young adults who never moved out in the first place. </p>
<h2>Housing costs, casual work, marriage delayed</h2>
<p>A number of mutually reinforcing economic and social factors are likely to be driving the overall trend towards staying in the parental home longer.</p>
<p>Of course, the cost of housing is a big factor, and it’s been rising faster than inflation and incomes. </p>
<p>It appears harder these days for young people to find full-time permanent employment opportunities. In particular, casual employment has risen for young adult men and women since around 2009; by comparison, it has only increased slightly for older men and has actually declined for older women.</p>
<p>There has also been growth in education participation of young adults, especially among those aged 25 and under. Interestingly, however, among those aged 18-21, the proportion of those living with their parents engaged in full-time education has fallen in recent years. This may reflect the growing importance of housing costs and the labour market in keeping young adults at home. The growth in education participation appears to have mainly been a factor up until 2011. </p>
<p>Changes in the preferences of young adults may also be a factor. It is possible that our longer life expectancy is increasing the desire to “live a little” before taking on the challenges and responsibilities traditionally associated with adulthood.</p>
<p>Certainly, young adults seem to be in less of a hurry to settle down and have children. For example, the median age at marriage has <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/3310.0Main%20Features32017?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=3310.0&issue=2017&num=&view=">risen by 1.5 years</a> since the turn of the century for both men and women; similarly, the average age of mothers at first birth has been creeping upwards and is <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/mothers-babies/australias-mothers-babies-2015-in-brief/contents/table-of-contents">now around 29</a>. </p>
<p>It is difficult to ascertain the relative importance of changing economic realities facing young adults versus changes in their preferences. </p>
<p>But one thing is clear: it could not happen without the capacity and willingness of parents to accommodate their adult children. So perhaps, ultimately, we should be looking to their parents for an explanation of this trend.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/theres-a-reason-youre-feeling-no-better-off-than-10-years-ago-heres-what-hilda-says-about-well-being-121098">There's a reason you're feeling no better off than 10 years ago. Here's what HILDA says about well-being</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/120587/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Roger Wilkins receives funding from the Australian Research Council.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Esperanza Vera-Toscano does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>In 2017, 56% of men aged 18 to 29 lived with one or both parents, up from 47% in 2001. And over the same period, the proportion of women aged 18 to 29 living with their parents rose from 36% to 54%.Roger Wilkins, Professorial Fellow and Deputy Director (Research), HILDA Survey, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of MelbourneEsperanza Vera-Toscano, Senior research fellow, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/561502016-03-28T23:39:15Z2016-03-28T23:39:15ZInsecure jobs and incomes carry risk of radicalisation for young Indonesian workers<p>Indonesia should address job and income insecurities that plague its large young workforce to prevent them being lured into joining violent extremist groups. </p>
<p>The world’s most-populous Muslim country is facing a <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/15/world/asia/indonesia-islamic-state.html?_r=0">revival of radical jihadi groups</a>, as indicated by the Islamic State-linked attacks in Jakarta in January. In late February, Australia <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/feb/25/australia-warns-indonesia-travellers-advanced-stage-terror-attack-plans">released a travel warning</a> for Indonesia, citing possible terrorist attacks. </p>
<p>The Indonesian parliament is looking to <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/indonesia-presses-for-counterterrorism-legislation-1457696882">amend its counter-terrorism laws</a> in April. </p>
<p>But aside from a law-enforcement approach to countering terrorism, the Indonesian government should tackle underlying social and economic problems that increase the risk of radicalisation among young people. </p>
<h2>Attraction to radicalism</h2>
<p><a href="http://www.iza.org/en/webcontent/publications/reports/report_pdfs/iza_report_58.pdf">Research</a> indicates that the lack of job and income security among young people increases their risk of joining radical <a href="http://print.kompas.com/baca/2015/11/04/Anak-Muda-dan-Radikalisme">religious groups</a>.</p>
<p>To make sense of their difficult lives, they may be convinced that their precarious existence is simply the result of them “not being Islamic enough” for not adhering to “pure sharia”. Radical ideologues may persuade them the solution to their problems is to return to the “rightful Islam”. </p>
<p>These young people are prone to falling for extremism that justifies all means, including violence, to achieve the goal of “Islamic purification”. </p>
<h2>Vulnerable young people</h2>
<p>The majority of Indonesian workers, of whom more than 40% are aged between 15 and 24, hold unstable jobs. </p>
<p>They receive low and unstable incomes. Many are stuck in a short-term and temporary contract work, with little hope of progressing in their careers and income. They lack protection against accidents and illness at work. And they are isolated from having a collective voice in the labour market. </p>
<p>In 2013, the number of informal workers – those who work as coolies in the market, domestic workers and people working without proper employment contracts – accounted for <a href="http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---asia/---ro-bangkok/---ilo-jakarta/documents/publication/wcms_233249.pdf.">53.6% of total employment</a> (or more than 60 million people). </p>
<p>Formal workers also face job and income insecurities. These are people who are on short-term contracts, are outsourced, on internships, or working freelance jobs. The proportion of workers experiencing informalisation increased from 6.7% in 2009 to <a href="http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_emp/---emp_elm/---analysis/documents/publication/wcms_166299.pdf">11% in 2011</a>. </p>
<p>These workers have difficulties in planning their futures and achieving their dreams. This leads to anger and anxiety. </p>
<h2>Jakarta attackers</h2>
<p>Bahrun Naim, the alleged mastermind of the Jakarta attacks, is 32 years old. He once worked at an internet café as a computer technician, after graduating with a degree in information technology at Sebelas Maret University in Surakarta in 2005.</p>
<p>He sold <a href="http://www.cnnindonesia.com/teknologi/20160115154133-185-104591/bahrun-naim-kisah-penjaga-warnet-jadi-perekrut-isis/">flags and Islamic knick-knacks</a> for additional income. </p>
<p>Ahmad Muhazan, 25, was the youngest of the attack’s perpetrators. He <a href="http://www.republika.co.id/berita/nasional/umum/16/01/15/o0zf5v328-ibu-ahmad-muhazan-pingsan-dengar-anaknya-tewas">reportedly</a> worked in a tyre store owned by his older brother and at a kebab shop. </p>
<h2>Finding a solution</h2>
<p>Indonesia needs to find a solution to provide secure and stable environment for workers. </p>
<p>The government needs to improve the delivery of social protection to help vulnerable workers live decently by diminishing their exposure to social and economic risks, and enhance their capacity to manage those risks. </p>
<p>These social protections can come in the forms of health insurance and protection against accidents and illness at work. Scholarships to enable further education and the opportunity to gain skills through apprenticeship and employment training to help workers progress in their careers and increase their income should also be made available. </p>
<p>Workers should also be given assistance to pay housing rent and rates, transportation and other support. </p>
<p>The Indonesian government has established a universal healthcare scheme. Several regencies in different parts of Indonesia have also delivered policies and programs that could potentially <a href="http://arnekalleberg.web.unc.edu/book-2/policy-responses-to-precarious-work-in-asia/">improve workers’ security</a>, like subsidised housing, subsidised treatment at public hospitals, as well as a plan to provide free public transportation for all workers.</p>
<p>But a systematic effort by the government and civil society is needed to ensure that policies and programs target all vulnerable workers, in both the formal and informal sectors, in all parts of Indonesia. </p>
<p>The government should provide incentives to small business to improve worker security. For instance, the government could provide loan packages and tax and duty concessions for small businesses that provide workers with health benefits and other forms of social protections.</p>
<p>Civil society can help workers to organise and build unions. This would provide them with an avenue to voice their aspirations and claim their rights as workers to get a more secure and stable working situation, thus making membership of radical and extremist groups less attractive. </p>
<p>Several unions have undoubtedly worked to advocate to the government to abolish practices contributing to increased <a href="http://arnekalleberg.web.unc.edu/book-2/policy-responses-to-precarious-work-in-asia/">work-related insecurities</a>, like short-term contract work and outsourcing. However, they mostly involve those in the formal sectors, overlooking the informal workers.</p>
<p>Improved stability and security will help the young plan their future and achieve their dreams, reducing and eliminating their anger and anxiety. It would also further reduce the risk of youth being prone to radicalisation. This would make it less easy for extremist groups to attract supporters.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/56150/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Diatyka Widya Permata Yasih does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Indonesia should tackle the job and income insecurities that plague its large young workforce, to help prevent them being lured into joining violent extremist groups.Diatyka Widya Permata Yasih, Lecturer, Department of Sociology, Universitas IndonesiaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/404442015-05-11T20:07:20Z2015-05-11T20:07:20ZMental health care spending saves money, and that’s worth investing in<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/81175/original/image-20150511-22730-13qxdv9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Unlike other chronic diseases, targeted spending on mental health care keeps people in the prime of their lives in the workforce.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-265381013/stock-photo-hardworking-dedicated-businesswoman-sitting-at-her-desk-in-the-office-with-her-head-in-her-hands.html?src=7MgY5d9HYfreMEc92tV8bA-2-98">Sebastian Gauert/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Mental health has become the awakening giant of health care, as Australians realise how ubiquitous mental illness really is in their everyday lives. But there’s a growing disconnect between this grassroots awareness and decisive action towards providing the full spectrum of care for those in need.</p>
<p>The prevailing consensus of the mental health sector is that we need progressive growth in investment to reach parity with the other major threats to human health, such as cancer and heart disease. But binary debates and false dichotomies have plagued progress.</p>
<p>Futile arguments about hospital versus community care, for instance, or prevention versus treatment, and the needs of children and young people versus older Australians prevail, all fuelled by scarcity and fiscal neglect. There’s undoubtedly a need for sectoral changes to help obtain value for money at the front line of care, but real growth is vital. </p>
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<p>And this puts the sector at odds with the widespread view that growth in health spending is unsustainable; that the current fiscal climate cannot support growth in investment. Mental health has to be an exception to these arguments, because it is, in fact, a key solution: it will save money if we reach the sweet spot of sufficient investment. We need growth in direct care so we can save in other government expenditures.</p>
<h2>Youth and productivity</h2>
<p>Unlike the other non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease, where costs are rising rapidly, targeted spending on mental health care keeps people in the prime of their lives in the workforce. Because unlike cancer, diabetes and heart disease, which strike in later life, 75% of mental disorders emerge in young people on the threshold of productive life.</p>
<p>We invest heavily as a society in young people so they can contribute to the common prosperity and fulfil their potential. But at least half of them will experience at least one period of mental ill-health during their transition to adulthood. </p>
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<p>If they die tragically from suicide, develop a sustained mental disorder, or even underachieve because of the vocational derailment that even a mild to moderate disorder can produce, then the human, social and economic impacts last for decades. </p>
<p>Current under-investment in mental health care is also creating huge new costs in welfare payments and in incarceration, to name two obvious examples. As the <a href="http://www.mentalhealthcommission.gov.au/our-reports/review-of-mental-health-programmes-and-services.aspx">National Mental Health Commission’s recent report</a> highlighted, the result of inadequate investment in timely, effective care means almost half (48.8%) of the Commonwealth’s funding is now accounted for by A$4.7 billion in disability support pension payments.</p>
<h2>New allies</h2>
<p>This all means that the best allies for the millions of Australians with mental ill health and poor access to quality care are increasingly economists rather than health professionals. </p>
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<p>In 2011, <a href="http://www.weforum.org/reports/global-economic-burden-non-communicable-diseases">the World Economic Forum produced a report</a> showing that of the five major non-communicable diseases, mental illness had the biggest impact on the world economy in terms of reducing gross domestic product (GDP). While heart disease reduces global GDP by 33% and cancer by 18%, mental ill health does so by 35%. </p>
<p>The OECD joined the fray in 2015 with its report <a href="http://www.oecd.org/els/health-systems/Focus-on-Health-Making-Mental-Health-Count.pdf">Making Mental Health Count</a>, which showed only 10% of people in the OECD with clinical depression were receiving even minimal care. This, despite the fact that we have as strong an evidence base for effective care in mental health as there is for other non-communicable diseases. It’s just not available in a timely and sustained way that most ordinary people can engage with.</p>
<p>Clearly, the return on such investment will be enormous. But mental health remains the poor cousin to other heath care, leading to poor morale and dysfunction in much of the existing system. </p>
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<p>And threats to the sector are set to increase as Commonwealth contributions to hospitals fall from 2017. Mental health care, especially in the community, is certain to suffer further as cash-strapped hospitals struggle to sustain other health services. </p>
<h2>Getting worse</h2>
<p>Few people realise how vulnerable the public mental health system has become since it was embedded in and yoked financially to the mainstream public hospital system. Not only is it not growing in line with population growth, it’s steadily shrinking and likely to shrink further.</p>
<p>We need both a renaissance of the culture and therapeutic quality of acute settings, which now often resemble clearing stations and custodial holding environments, as well as the creation or revival of proactive well-resourced community mental health services that are optimistic, responsive, and recovery focused.</p>
<p>Australians with mental ill-health deserve a fair deal. We can deliver this with more investment, and the strategic, sequential targeting of a modest number of “best buys” within an initial phase of reform, starting today.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/40444/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Pat McGorry
works for:
Executive Director of Orygen, the National Centre for Excellence in Youth Mental Health
Founding Director of headspace, the National Youth Mental Health Foundation
Professor of Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne
Receives funding from:
NHMRC
Colonial Foundation
Stanley Foundation
Also
President, Society for Mental Health Research.
President-Elect, Schizophrenia International Research Society
Treasurer, International Early Psychosis Association
Editor, Early Intervention in Psychiatry
</span></em></p>There’s a growing disconnect between grassroots awareness of mental illness and decisive action towards providing the full spectrum of care for those in need.Pat McGorry, Professor of Psychiatry , The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.