What are the chances of fresh graduates taking their first steps into the job market during the pandemic?
The coronavirus pandemic has drastically changed work and labor market conditions in a number of ways, and career starters and trainees are no exception. Although the long-term effects of the epidemic are not yet known, after the economic crisis of 2008 it became clear that similar crises were increasingly affecting young people starting their careers.
A study on the situation of career starters revealed the following:
- Newcomers are anxious to enter the labor market (due to coronavirus & its restrictions)
- Labor market opportunities have narrowed- there are fewer job opportunities
- Graduates are less affected by the difficulty of finding a job than young people with lower qualifications
- The labor market situation after the coronavirus depends largely on the economy in the near future
According to analyzes, the 2008 crisis has played a major role in ensuring that the real income of Generation Y is below the level reached by previous generations at the same age. A recent IMF study has now dusted off this topic and focused on the coronavirus crisis to examine the long-term effects of the crisis on young people. Analyzing data from previous crises, IMF analysts have found that those who are forced to enter the labor market in times of crisis, and high unemployment, never really work out their disadvantages.
The Covid pandemic has caused most companies to switch all operations online and reorganize and adapt to new circumstances. For young people, who may have not had a job before, it is more difficult to experience the starting of a job online-without day to day interactions between themselves and colleagues. For example, pre-pandemic, if a starter, started in the office they would have access to colleagues and were able to interact, ask questions and understand tasks or how to complete tasks better. Post-pandemic brings a different picture, as starters would be unfamiliar with the people they work with and may be reluctant to ask the relevant questions, gain new skills and hence, learn from their experiences at work.
The situation of young people is fundamentally difficult when they graduate, which is usually accompanied by significant anxiety, and this is exacerbated by the epidemic situation. Especially for young people who have never worked a regular job before, it is going to be even more difficult to establish a work routine now.