Destined for the dole?

Thousands of young people from jobless families could be destined to join their parents in the dole queue, warns a Prince’s Trust Research Qa report.

The study - part of The Prince's Trust Undiscovered campaign - reveals that young people from workless families are significantly more likely to struggle to find a job themselves, as well as feeling far less confident about their future.

Seventy per cent have struggled to find a job, while nearly one in five (18 per cent) expect to end up on benefits because other people around them have.

According to the report, based on interviews with 2,048 16-to-24-year-olds, one in five (20 per cent) say that seeing their parents out of work has made them anxious about finding a job. One in four (25 per cent) feel their parents don’t have the knowledge to help them find employment, while almost one in ten (nine per cent) haven’t even thought about what career they want.

Martina Milburn, chief executive, youth charity The Prince’s Trust said:

Too many young people are facing a cycle of worklessness and can’t see a way out. It is a tragedy to think that so many feel condemned to a life on benefits.Only by giving young people skills, confidence and positive role models can we help them break out of this unemployment trap. If we fail to stop these disadvantaged young people becoming disadvantaged adults, this cycle will continue to blight these families for generations to come.

According to the report, carried out by social and market research agency Qa Research, growing up in an area of high unemployment also has a long-term impact on young people’s prospects and confidence.

Two-fifths (39 per cent) of those living in communities with high levels of unemployment worry they will never find a good job. One in four (25 per cent) feel depressed as a result of living in the area, while nearly half (49 per cent) have no role models whose careers they look up to and respect.

Almost one in six (15 per cent) worry that their children won’t be able to find a job in the future.

The report, Destined for the dole?, also highlights that young people want to work, with more than three quarters (76 per cent) saying that finding a good job is their main priority for the future and nearly two thirds (65 per cent) stating that their main aim is to support their family.

More than six out of ten (63 per cent) say that having more volunteering opportunities in their local area would give them the skills they needed to find a job.

Angela Browne, Head of Children and Young People Research, Qa Research said:

Our research indicates that thousands of young people are growing up believing they will never progress past the dole queue. This is deeply concerning, both for them and the British economy, which needs new talent now more than ever.

There are 1.9 million children living in workless households – the highest number in the EU. The UK also has one of highest overall rates of workless households in the EU, third only to Belgium and Hungary, with nearly 4.8 million working-age people living in a household where no-one works. Around 3.9 million children are living below the poverty line in the UK.