Six in 10 students are currently unemployed, with many unable to find work due to the impact of Covid-19, a survey by Student Hut has found.
Almost one in 10 students said they were struggling to find work due to Covid-19, while a further 7% said they had lost their jobs as a direct result of the pandemic. Half of those currently unemployed said they were actively seeking employment.
Reasons given for students’ current unemployment varied from difficulty finding jobs with appropriate hours or location and competition for roles, to personal and mental health issues caused by lockdown.
Meanwhile, three-quarters of students believe that Covid-19 will have a negative effect on their future job prospects, citing reasons such as social distancing having a negative impact on certain careers, more people looking for jobs and lack of work experience placements.
“As students head back to university, they are facing all the usual worries plus added stress this year due to Covid-19. Employment concerns have been a constant theme for our student panel throughout the pandemic, and as jobs become more competitive and payments for fees and rent start to mount up, finding employment is at the forefront of many students’ minds.
“Universities need to ensure they are providing the support and flexibility students need to enable them to find employment and support themselves financially this coming year. Without this, dropping out could be a very real possibility for many students who rely on part-time work to survive” said Katherine Nicholls, Director of Research at Student Hut.
The findings have come from a project to track student opinion and attitudes during the Covid-19 crisis.
For press enquiries, please contact Nicola Jones [email protected] or call +44 (0)1273 734640. You can find previous Student Hut press releases and media coverage about the COVID-tracker here.