Untangling the Effects of COVID-19 on Youth Employment: Directions for Social Work Research

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened the level of uncertainty experienced by many young people around the world and has complicated the developmental tasks associated with the transition to adulthood, including leaving home, completing education, and obtaining full-time employment. We are just beginning to understand the more immediate effects of the pandemic, but research from previous crises and economic recessions suggests that there will likely also be important long-term social, racial, and economic implications for young people who are coming of age today. In this commentary, we argue that it is critical for researchers interested in social welfare policy and practice to gather and analyze in-depth data on young people’s employment experiences to be able to fully capture, understand, and more effectively address the long-term consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.