"I was in a dark place mentally" Half of young people across Greater Manchester anxious about future
Research from The Kings Trust Youth Index finds strong link between mental health and joblessness
More than a quarter of young people in the UK who are not in work, education or training have applied for jobs they do not want because they are desperate to work.
One in five report they are applying for jobs every day and 22% say having a stable job is one of their biggest goals in life.
The data, from the Kings Trust TK Maxx Youth Index also found 50% of so-called NEETs aged 16-25-year-old feel hopeless about their future due to being unemployed.
It reveals that NEET young people have the lowest happiness and overall wellbeing compared to any other group.
A quarter of young people in Greater Manchester do not think they will ever have enough money to own their own home, and one in five (20 per cent) do not think they will earn enough to raise their own family (20 per cent)
The majority of young people in Greater Manchester state having a job makes them feel confident about their future (80 per cent), but two fifths (41 per cent) worry about losing their job and not being able to find work.
Almost two thirds (62 per cent) of young people in Greater Manchester are concerned they lack the skills, experience or qualifications to pursue the career they want.
Mental health impact of not having a job
The Index found strong links between a young person's work or education status and their mental health.
- 30% state they have experienced a mental health problem due to being unemployed
- 53% of NEET young people report feeling embarrassed being out of work
- Over a quarter of 16–25-year-olds out of work or education say their mental health has stopped them applying for jobs or attending an interview
- One in ten (11%) NEETs say they left employment in the past 12 months due to their mental health.
'Life chances and wellbeing at risk'
Jonathan Townsend, UK Chief Executive of The King’s Trust told Greatest Hits Radio: “We publish the King’s Trust TK Maxx Youth Index today against a backdrop of great instability, economic challenge, and a rapidly changing world of work. Although this is a turbulent time for many young people, it is those who face the most disadvantage and in particular who are NEET, whose life chances and overall wellbeing are most at risk.
“The report presents sobering evidence of the effects of unemployment on young people’s mental health and aspirations, which further impacts their ability to get into work. Yet it confirms what we know to be true from our daily interactions with young people, that so many desperately want to work and have great passion and potential.
“There are almost a million young people currently NEET in the UK, which is equivalent to the third largest city in the UK. This is a crisis that requires urgent action to ensure young people get the support they need to access job opportunities and take control of their future.”
Adam, 19, from Oldham was out of work and education for eight months after finishing college. He said: “Before coming to The King’s Trust, I was in a dark place mentally. I was keen to work after finishing college and applied for more than a hundred jobs during my eight months of unemployment. However, I often didn’t hear back, and the interviews I did do I wasn’t successful in.
“Being out of work and education took a major toll on me. The constant rejection from employers knocked my confidence, my mental health was at an all-time low, and I was struggling to see a way forward."
Adam came to The Trust and completed Team; a twelve-week personal development course delivered by Groundwork. He said: “The Team programme was a real eye-opener for me. Over the three months we did varied activities from team building tasks, like rock climbing and caving, to a community project where we revamped a garden.
“The staff created a positive environment for us to learn in. I was given opportunities I never thought I’d be given and learned lessons that aren’t taught in the normal classes you get at school and college. As my confidence grew each day, I realised my own worth and strength, which lit a fire in me.
“My two-week work placement turned into a job at the end of the course, and I couldn’t be happier. After being out of work for so long, it feels great to have a job, have a wage coming in and not be constantly stressed about my finances. While I continue to work on my mental health, being in a job has helped me massively and I finally feel like I am contributing to society again.”