COVID-19 is affecting youth employment opportunities in Bangladesh. In this study, BIGD explores youth employment and income, mental well-being, learning, perceptions of the future, and their willingness to vaccinate, through a quantitative survey. The report finds that the youth, on average, are not well-prepared and equipped for the post-pandemic job market.
Researchers: Asma Tabassum; Md. Shakil Ahmed; Nusrat Jahan
Timeline: March 2021–June 2021
Status: Completed
Method: Quantitative
Contact: Asma Tabassum; tabassum.asma@bracu.ac.bd
Publications:
Context
The pandemic has disproportionately affected the youth, who struggle in the labour market because of limited experience and skills with poor quality of education. Additionally, in-person classes were cancelled in all educational institutions from March 2020, increasing the uncertainty of possible job opportunities for current students. Limitation in digital infrastructure and capacities of educational institutes and limited digital skills of and stark digital inequalities among the youth indicate a widespread disruption in education and possible long-term learning loss.
Objectives
To assess the impact of COVID-19 on the youth labour market by examining the mental well-being of different segments of the youth population and how it has been affected by the pandemic. The study also aims to provide insight into youth perceptions and their willingness to get vaccinated.
This study is relevant to SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), particularly to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
Methodology
The research employs a quantitative quantitative method that included a phone-based survey of 4,200 youths aged 15–35 years. A multi-stage random sampling technique was applied to select the target sample. The samples were equally distributed across the five regions of Bangladesh, with 840 youths from each region.
Findings and Recommendations
The study finds the impact of the pandemic on young people to be systemic, deep and disproportionate. Many youths who were working before the pandemic are yet to start working again. Working hours and income are still much lower than pre-pandemic levels. It also finds that despite school closures for over a year, very few have taken any new training, except those in the social media survey, more than a quarter of whom took new training courses during the pandemic.
The effect of COVID-19 has been particularly hard on young women, who had a very low job recovery rate and had poorer mental health, compared to young men. Nevertheless, the majority of the youth perceived the effects of the pandemic to be greater for men than for women. The surveyed youth reported an increase in household chores and a reduction in study time. The majority of them also expressed a willingness to be vaccinated.
Overall, the report predicts remote working, e-commerce, and adoption of artificial intelligence and automation will further decrease the demand for low-skilled jobs and force 25% of the workforce to switch jobs—predominantly to sectors requiring a higher level of technological and cognitive skills. Considering these trends, the survey indicates that the youth, on average, are not well-prepared for the post-pandemic job market.
The study is part of the Covid Collective initiative. Supported by the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the Covid Collective is based at the Institute of Development Studies (IDS). The Collective brings together the expertise of UK and Southern-based research partner organizations and offers a rapid social science research response to inform decision-making on some of the most pressing development challenges related to COVID-19.
