By Ruby Sharkie, Associate News Editor
With Racheal Reeves announcing in Wednesday’s budget that minimum wage for 18-20 year olds will be increasing by 85p per hour, many businesses have warned that the increases could push up prices and make it harder for 18 to 20-year-olds to find work.
It has been recently reported that youth unemployment is at its highest level since 2015, excluding the pandemic years. With unemployment rates in 16-24 year olds at 15.3%, Keir Starmer has been criticised and warned that Britain’s youth are in danger of becoming a “lost generation”.
And one of the groups feeling the hit of this unemployment epidemic, are the university students of today. Although already in full-time (or part-time) education, students have reported finding it ever-more difficult to get a job.
At Royal Holloway, new survey data suggests students are already struggling to find work, despite desperately needing income to cope with the cost-of-living crisis.
Over 81% of survey-takers reported having a part-time job alongside studies and 85.7% of the unemployed survey-takers actively looking for work but to no avail.
Students worry that the minimum-wage increase, though welcome, may worsen the This shows a clear gap in the market for student-friendly jobs.
One student survey-taker stated that they needed more support in: “encouraging employers to hire more individuals who may not have worked before because they’ve prioritised their education during GCSEs and A-Levels. I feel employers see that some students that lack any work experience as a bad thing when they will be motivated to work as it can help support their studies.”
With zero hour contracts scheduled to phase out by 2027, students who go home for breaks find it even more difficult to be seen in the hiring process.
Whilst the chancellor also set aside £1.5bn in the budget to help 16 to 24-year-olds into work or training over the next five years, 70% of responders to the survey reported feeling dissatisfied with the government’s efforts and 59% stated that the government does not provide enough financial support for students.
One student stated that they would like more support in: “more job opportunities, but I also understand that’s a solution that nobody can really change”
When asked if cost-of-living rises had impacted your need to work whilst studying, 96% answered either yes somewhat or significantly so.
Survey results show most people weren’t happy with the availability of student-friendly jobs in the Egham area. Twelve survey-takers rated it a 4 and three gave it the lowest score of 5 – very dissatisfied. Only a handful rated it in the middle, with eight choosing 3 and three choosing 2.
Royal Holloway offers a careers advice and support service, available to all students, 68% of responders to my survey said they hadn’t used it, maybe the outcome of this survey would be different if they had.
The careers service along with the financial help service can be found on the Royal Holloway website
With youth unemployment already rising, Reeves’ wage boost could push employers away from hiring inexperienced students, which is something reflected in Royal Holloway survey responses.
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