The European Youth Blueprint To Recovery y 1 i n 6 stoppeo un th g e start of tpeople have d wo rki n h g s e cr ince isi s e d i w d l r o w d e t % c e ff a 91 s t n e d u t s f o 23% less working hours DATE June 2020 CRISIS Covid-19 Equality Needs To Be Our Compass LOCATION Earth POPULATION Young people 1 MUCH HAS BEEN SAID ABOUT THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC 01 - INTRODUCTION by the brutality of the pandemic, many did not have equal access to care. As no region in the world, Europe included, was Over the past months, much has been prepared for this pandemic, inequalities said about the COVID-19 pandemic: were revealed between countries’ re- its roots, its impact, its consequences. sponses, calling for a united and coordi- While there is still much more to learn, nated response, rooted in solidarity. As we must already start to take stock and lockdown measures were put in place look ahead in order to support those who and our lifestyle changed, too many of us need it the most. were left without a stable income, a safe place to live, and a basic support system. One of the most striking truths is that, As the consequences of the crisis are while we all had to self isolate and adjust becoming concrete and economic reces- to a new reality, this crisis, the same as sion has begun, too many again will suffer any other crisis, has mostly affected al- if appropriate measures are not taken. ready vulnerable people in our societies. Existing inequalities were only exacerbat- To quote the United Nations Deputy ed. We, the young generation, might not Chief, Amina Mohammed, this crisis has be the most hit by the health crisis, but been its consequences will form our disadvan- tage for decades to come, if no measures are taken. “exposing the frailties As COVID-19 was spreading, there were and inequalities of our people who were more at risk than oth- ers to fall ill and die from it. As our health societies.” systems were unfit and terribly shaken 3 Equality is the foundation of sustainable, and more threatening crisis that won’t go functioning and progressive democratic away: the climate crisis and global warm- societies. And as the world is on the road ing. As we have to redefine our social to recover from this crisis and our insti- contract and our economic model, let’s tutions are discussing how to walk that ensure they are guided by justice and road, equality needs to be our compass. equality, putting people and the planet at Young people and youth organisations the core of a new system. are dreaming of and working towards a more equal society. During the period Since the beginning of the crisis, the of lockdowns, we have witnessed an ex- European Youth Forum has worked to traordinary response by the youth move- ensure that no young person was left be- ment to act in solidarity with those more hind and that youth organisations were affected by the crisis. supported in their solidarity actions. With this European Youth Blueprint to Recov- However, young people have been se- ery, we present a series of policy recom- verely hit too. We, the young, are more mendations aiming at influencing the at risk of losing our jobs or of not being institutional response to the crisis. Our able to benefit from social protection. In solutions are built around three pillars for fact, according to the International La- the reconstruction of our societies in the bour Organisation, 1 in 6 young people wake of the crisis: lost their job because of the economic consequences of COVID-19. Youth organ- isations are also deeply affected by this ■ Social & economic inclusion - pre- crisis: too many have become extremely venting the lockdown generation; vulnerable because of cut activities and some are even at risk of closing down. ■ Human rights, civic space and This is a threat to our democracies. participation - maintaining and strengthening our democracies; When inequality reigns, there is no hope for a strong democratic society, founded ■ Beyond recovery - sustainable on human rights and vibrant civic space. alternatives to build back better. When people are worried about having a roof over their heads, a decent job and simply making ends meet, there is often In the coming months and years, the Eu- no space for being active in our commu- ropean Youth Forum will advocate for nities, taking care of others and learning solutions that ensure a fair and sustain- from each other to build a better world. If able recovery, ensuring that we don’t go inequality reigns, our democracies are at back in time but we build back better. We risk. will ensure that the voice of young peo- ple and youth organisations will be heard Last but not least, this crisis, with all its in all the necessary conversations and be learnings and dire consequences, is also part of the decision making process at all an opportunity for us to call for a new levels: global, European, national, region- system. There is a momentum for our al and local. societies to switch gear towards a more sustainable world: one rooted in social, economical and environmental equali- ty. Let’s not forget that there is a bigger 4 PREVENTING THE LOCKDOWN GENERATION 02-SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC INCLUSION work in the wholesale, retail, accommo- dation and food sectors in the EU, where FACTS many job losses are expected.4 As young people often gain their first work experi- ence in these industries, we are now los- ing crucial opportunities to develop our skills and earn a living. In this scenario where jobs are being lost, age-based discrimination in welfare sys- tems causes an additional level of vulner- ability for youth. As not all young people The health crisis is fast becoming an eco- have extensive work experience, we often nomic and social one, with many ques- can’t access unemployment benefits, tioning what will bring more fatalities - which are mostly contribution-based.5 the pandemic or the upcoming economic When out of a job, accessing minimum downturn. While the virus might not have income schemes can also become a impacted young people’s health as much challenge, as the existence of age mini- as it did other groups, the pandemic dis- mums in many countries further penalise rupted our education, it’s affecting our youth. jobs and income prospects, and it’s put- ting our overall wellbeing at risk. The pandemic put a strain on our educa- tion and training; schools and universities Our already precarious position in the la- were closed; apprenticeships and intern- bour market before the pandemic makes ships were either interrupted, postponed us even more vulnerable now. Since or moved online. While distance learn- 2008, youth unemployment has been ing offers great potential to those who consistently higher, more than double can take advantage of it, it is the already the overall unemployment rate in the EU.1 marginalised who remain left out. Young Precarious contracts, and in-work poverty migrants and refugees,6 and Roma youth have been on the rise among young peo- often lack internet access in their com- ple, with many of us taking up short-term munities, and computers in their homes.7 or temporary jobs that often lack quality Furthermore, the specific needs of chil- and proper remuneration. We are usually dren and young people with disabilities the ‘first-out’ when job losses occur, with are often not taken into account. youth unemployment rising almost twice as fast as the overall unemployment rate during recessions.2 As graduating during a recession has sig- nificant consequences for young people’s With this new crisis, we will once again see young people lose jobs. We are over-represented in the hardest hit sec- 4 Decent Jobs for Youth (2020) Young Workers will be 3 tors of the economy: 1 in 3 young people Hit Hard by Covid-19’s Economic Fallout 1 Eurostat (2020) April 2020 Unemployment news re- 5 European Youth Forum (2016) Excluding Youth: A lease Threat to our Future 2 Bell, D.N. and Blanchflower, D.G., (2011)Young people 6 United Nations (2020), Policy Brief: The impact of and the Great Recession. Oxford Review of Economic COVID-19 on children. Policy, 27(2), pp.241-267. 7 See http: // ergonetwork.org/2020/03/covid-19- 3 According to Eurostat data, over 30% of young workers extreme-hardship-and-solidarity-in-these-times-of- between the ages of 15-24 worked in those industries. crisis/ 6 FIGURES Eurofound: ■ 13% of young people work without any contract, putting them at a greater risk of being af- fected by this crisis. Eurostat: ■ In 2016, 43.8% of young people aged 15-24 were in temporary forms of work, as opposed to 13.1% of people aged 25-49, and 6.9% of people aged 50-64. ILO & Partners: ■ Over 1 in 6 young people worldwide have stopped working since the start of the crisis. ■ Among young people who have remained in employment, working hours have fallen by 23%. ■ Around half of young students report a likely delay in the completion of their current studies, while 10% expect to be unable to complete them at all ■ Eurostat: ■ In April 2020 while the unemployment rate of the general population increased by 0.2%, from 6.4% to 6.6%, the youth unemployment rate increased by 0.8%, from 14.6% to 15.4%.