These hot takes from young people on high unemployment rate prove the real issue isn’t AI

A recent report has revealed that the unemployment rate in the UK is higher than it was before the pandemic, and lots of young people have concerns.

Last week, the BBC reported the Office for National Statistics had revealed the unemployment rate in the UK is now five per cent, the highest it’s been since February 2021.  Now, new research from The Guardian shows that half of the jobs lost since Labour came into office last year are among under-25s.

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We asked students and recent graduates how the job market has been making them feel, and they gave us their hottest takes.

Amelia, who is in their third year of their Sociology degree at the University of East Anglia, has been trying to secure a graduate job and a part-time job while studying. They have the experience to back it up – they did an internship in the summer and have had several hospitality jobs. Still, finding a job feels impossible.

“Firstly, the whole Al is replacing your jobs thing is widely overestimated… I think this crisis of graduate jobs is much deeper than just not hiring graduates,” they said. “Most companies are looking for perfect candidates that don’t really exist, with graduate schemes decreasing. ”

Will, a recent film graduate from London Film School, also believes the AI issue is overblown and connects the terrible job market to a wider recession.

“If you discount AI-based internal financing, the western economies are on like minus five per cent,” said Will. “So every single company is shrinking. Meanwhile, COVID created a massively skilled workforce, because everyone got into uni.”

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As universities continue to lose funding and even start to cut some of their courses, some young people have been looking at apprenticeships instead, but these courses are incredibly competitive and few and far between.

Via, who is studying Speech and Language Therapy at the University of Essex, tried to get an apprenticeship first, but soon realised it would be way too difficult.

“Apprenticeships are so competitive, in such limited fields as well. They’re just not widely available, and they’re very much limited to your location. You’ve got to uproot your life as an 18-year-old, and the apprenticeships aren’t paying enough.”

It’s clear that, despite what boomer politicians may be saying, young people across the UK are eager to work, but the oppurtunities just aren’t there for entry-level roles.

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