The youth unemployment rate, however, in South Australia remains at 21. 9% with the Western and Northern suburbs having significantly higher rates of 31. 6% ( Workforce Information Service). People of all ages are affected by unemployment but young people aged 15 to 24 years are affected disproportionately. Youth unemployment in South Australia is commensurate to the national average of 26. 3%.
The youth unemployment rate is now the highest it has been since November 2001(ABS, 2009). Given South Australia’s low population growth and economic growth rates, high youth unemployment rates are likely to continue (Hugo, 1999). The effects of unemployment on health and well-being have been studied in detail since the rise of unemployment in the late 1970s. This has resulted in a substantial body of research concerning the health effects of unemployment- research that shows a strong association between unemployment and ill health.There have been specific studies on the effects of unemployment on women, adult men, indigenous Australians and immigrants but my interest has focussed on the effects on unemployment and young people given that employment plays a pivotal role in helping young people to negotiate the transitional period between the child and adulthood, as it is a key factor in healthy identity development (Erikson, 1968).
Despite this acknowledgement and research there are very few intervention programs addressing the health issues associated with unemployment.This literature review will outline the nature of the health problems associated with youth unemployment, the key ‘moderating’ factors that assist, the small number of intervention programs in this area and the need to develop a coordinated policy framework to address this complex social health issue. Method Keywords such as ‘unemployment and youth’, ‘youth unemployment and health effects’ were initially used and databases including Informit, Proquest, Expanded Academic ASAP, Journals@Ovid, Web of Science and Web of Knowledge were accessed.The Australian Bureau of Statistics database was used to obtain current figures on unemployment. Additional keywords such as ‘youth unemployment and public health policies’, ‘youth unemployment and health promotion, ‘youth unemployment and programs and interventions’ were also used.
Journals including Social Science and Medicine, Medical Journal of Australia, Youth Studies and Australian Journal of Social Issues were accessed. In the initial search titles of books, not journals, appeared so a more specific search was required to access journal articles.Many of the articles, however, are more than 5 years old. The searches were supplemented by references in key publications.
The main themes seem to that being unemployed has deleterious health consequences but that having meaningful activities and social support can decrease the harmful effects. The Absence of employment Being employed has financial benefits that are unattainable to the unemployed. Without sufficient income many young people are unable to live independently and support themselves adequately. As well as meeting basic material needs, employment offers many non-financial benefits.
Having a job provides the individual with a sense of identity, a valued social role and a sense that they are part of society because they are contributing towards the ‘common good’ ( Jahoda, 1981). Employment also imposes a routine or structure to the day and allows non-work time to be defined and used as leisure ( Jahoda, 1981; Warr, 1987). The absence of employment, therefore, can mean that many people do not have vital human needs met such as an opportunity to exercise control, to use and develop skills and have contact with others.The research literature shows a strong association between unemployment and ill health. Some illness is caused by unemployment whilst other health problems are exacerbated by unemployment ( Smith, 1987; Mathers & Schofield,1998). An Australian summary of the health and unemployment literature by Mathers and Schofield (1998) identified that unemployment has detrimental effects on mental health, physical health and health related behaviours.
Mental Health The evidence that unemployment has negative effects on mental health is strong.Mental health effects on young unemployed people include low self esteem and confidence ( Gurney, 1980; Prause and Dooley, 1997), increased incidence of depression ( Patton and Noller, 1990; Winefield et al, 1993; West & Sweeting, 1996), stress related symptoms ( Hammarstrom, 1994) and higher levels of anxiety ( Morrell et al, 1994; West & Sweeting,1996). In their study, Morrell et al (1998) find a strong association between unemployment in young 15 to 25 year olds and youth suicide. Physical HealthResearch has shown the links between unemployment and higher morbidity and mortality rates( Mathers and Schofield) where health outcomes are poorer and premature deaths are higher when unemployment is higher. There are few studies that have examined the physical health effects of unemployment on young people but a study in Sweden showed that unemployed young people had higher blood pressure than those who were not unemployed and reported more complaints such as headaches, back pain and colds ( Hammarstrom, 1994).
