Youth underemployment: A review of research on young people and the problems of less(er) employment in an era of mass education

Churchill, Brendan; Khan, Chabel

doi:10.1111/soc4.12921

Cited by 7 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 76 publications

(147 reference statements)

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“…Hence, in our qualitative analysis, there is a greater number of comments from women and young adults with a university qualification, as they represent a larger proportion of our sample. Relatedly, the voices of men, young adults without a university qualification and renters are under‐represented in this paper's results (see Churchill & Khan, 2021; Furlong et al, 2018; Miranda & Alfredo, 2022; for existing research on work precarity for this more disadvantaged cohort).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 83%

“…Drawing on this finding, we propose the use of liminality to conceptualise a long‐term state of in‐betweenness in which the impermanence of precarity paradoxically becomes a near‐permanent state, and to make visible both the structural and subjective dimensions of this experience. Building on this proposal, we contend that liminal and precarious experiences of employment need to be taken seriously in the design and implementation of policy, as they reflect the lives realities of an increasing proportion of youth and young adults (Churchill & Khan, 2021; Miranda & Alfredo, 2022). In particular, our findings dovetail with research on underemployment that has put forward definitions that encompass contract type, conditions and the relationship of employment to one's qualifications (for review, see Churchill & Khan, 2021), rather than focussing solely on whether respondents desire additional hours of paid work (for instance, see Chambers et al, 2021).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Liminality, COVID‐19 and the long crisis of young adults' employment

Cuervo

Maire

Cook

et al. 2023

Aust J Social Issues

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The COVID‐19 crisis has brought into sharp relief the precarious employment situation of young people, precipitating a raft of academic and public claims of an unprecedented crisis that has disrupted young lives. Our study contributes to research on youth labour and transitions with new longitudinal empirical analysis. Our analysis challenges the “newness” of the precarity highlighted by COVID‐19, focussing on employment. It draws on longitudinal mixed methods data from a research project tracking the transition to adulthood of young Australians. We make use of the concept of liminality to analyse the labour patterns for this group of young adults for the past 5 years. While we acknowledge the impact of COVID‐19 on young people's lives, our analysis reveals a precarisation of labour conditions for a significant proportion of participants that precedes the pandemic crisis. We conclude that the tendency in some youth research and in public discourse, to depict contemporary events as heralding “new” crises for young people, obscures the deeper structural arrangements that continually position the young to take the brunt of social and economic policies.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 83%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Liminality, COVID‐19 and the long crisis of young adults' employment

Cuervo

Maire

Cook

et al. 2023

Aust J Social Issues

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“…For example, in the economic climate of capitalism and in specific neoliberalism, education is regarded as an important asset for developing and improving business and industry and as a result many young people currently feel pressured to aim for completing study at the highest possible educational level (Bessant et al, 2017 ). Furthermore, due to globalization, young people experience greater competition when applying for a job, whereas on the other hand employers mainly offer temporary positions to screen their work potential before giving them a permanent position, so that they are able to adjust quickly to changing market conditions (Churchill & Khan, 2021 ). Because of the extended investment in education and the more uncertain labor market position, young people have limited financial resources.…”

Section: Origins Of Eswmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contemporary Hermits: A Developmental Psychopathology Account of Extreme Social Withdrawal (Hikikomori) in Young People

Muris

Ollendick

2023

Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev

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Although it is widely accepted that human beings have an ingrained ‘need to belong,’ there seem to be a substantial subset of young people who seclude themselves for most of the time at home and no longer engage in education or work, ultimately withdrawing from participation in society. In Japan, this phenomenon has been labeled as ‘hikikomori,’ but given its global presence it may be preferable to use the term ‘extreme social withdrawal’ (ESW). In this qualitative review, we provide a description and definition of ESW, provide figures on its prevalence, and discuss a number of associated concepts, including loneliness and “aloneliness,” school absenteeism and dropout, the ‘new’ developmental stage of adultolescence, and the labor force categories of freeter (‘freelance arbeiter’) and NEET (a young person not in employment, education, or training). The core of the paper is focused on the origins of ESW in young people and provides a narrative overview of relevant etiological factors, such as aberrant brain processes, unfavorable temperament, psychiatric conditions, adverse family processes including detrimental parenting, negative peer experiences, societal pressures, and excessive internet and digital media use, which are all placed within a comprehensive developmental psychopathology framework. We will close with a discussion of possible interventions for young people with ESW and formulate a guideline that describes (the temporal order of) various components that need to be included in such a treatment.

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“…In addition, maintaining a positive employment risk perception is beneficial for job seekers to obtain satisfactory welfare [28]. Furthermore, positive employment risk perceptions can help job seekers avoid workplace pitfalls and unfair treatment [29], which can help the public obtain sufficient and stable resources to meet their survival needs and improve their quality of life [30]. Although there are differences in job search and employment risk perceptions among people from different urban living backgrounds [31,32], scholars believe that as long as positive job search and employment risk perceptions are maintained, public employment and life needs can be met, and labor disputes can be reduced [33], which should help achieve the goal of urban development and creating a happy city [34].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Under the Risk of COVID-19 Epidemic: A Study on the Influence of Life Attitudes, Leisure Sports Values, and Workplace Risk Perceptions on Urban Development and Public Well-Being

Zheng

Lin

et al. 2023

Sustainability

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This study examined the impact of attitudes toward life, recreational sports values, and workplace risk perceptions on urban development and public well-being under the risk of the COVID-19 epidemic in China. A mixed-method research study was conducted, and 2400 valid questionnaires were collected via purposeful sampling. The questionnaires were analyzed using the SPSS 26.0 statistical software and validated with basic statistical methods and Pearson’s correlation analysis. Semi-structured interviews were then conducted to collect the opinions of 12 respondents on the questionnaire results, including academics, foreign entrepreneurs and employees, local entrepreneurs and employees, and official institutions. Finally, all the data collected were discussed via triangulation analysis. The survey found that different cities’ social and industrial development and job market needs lead to different attitudes toward life, leisure values, and perceptions of job-seeking and employment risks. The smoother a person’s growing-up background, the better their learning history, the better their learning and working experience, and the richer their life experience; consequently, positive attitudes toward life, correct leisure values, and positive attitudes toward job hunting and employment can be cultivated. In addition, people with positive attitudes toward life, leisure values, and job hunting and employment can improve their city’s economy and environment for sustainable development, thereby improving their quality of life and increasing their well-being.

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Youth underemployment: A review of research on young people and the problems of less(er) employment in an era of mass education

Abstract: In this article, we examine the problem of youth underemployment and how it is conceptualised, operationalised and understood within wider sociology, with particular focus on the sociology of youth and youth studies literature.

Cited by 7 publications

References 76 publications

Liminality, COVID‐19 and the long crisis of young adults' employment

Liminality, COVID‐19 and the long crisis of young adults' employment

Contemporary Hermits: A Developmental Psychopathology Account of Extreme Social Withdrawal (Hikikomori) in Young People

Under the Risk of COVID-19 Epidemic: A Study on the Influence of Life Attitudes, Leisure Sports Values, and Workplace Risk Perceptions on Urban Development and Public Well-Being

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