'The Degree of Despair': The Disjointed Labour Market, the Impact of the Pandemics, the Expansion of Precarious Work among Youth and Its Effects on Young People's Life Trajectories, Life Chances and Political Mentalities - Public Trust; The Case of Greece

Abstract

This paper focuses on the expansion of precarious forms of employment (temporary, seasonal, part-time jobs etc.) and on the impact this expansion has on young peoples' key determinants of life course. Based on both secondary quantitative-data analysis and primary qualitative research, the paper analyzes the state of play regarding precarious work among youth both in the EU and (mainly) in Greece, while it highlights the impact of the pandemic and the subsequent Recession in the abovementioned. The paper also explores the various aspects and facets of the impact of precarious employment in young peoples' life trajectories. Key findings include: a) the strong correlation between precarious employment, social vulnerability and risk of poverty, b) the fact that, during the pandemic, the "labour market slack" in Greece hit young people aged 15-24 more than people aged 25-54, further widening their precariousness, c) that there is a wider tendency to expand and "normalize" the forms of precarious employment among youth, concerning, especially, the combination of declared and undeclared work, d) that a new labour market dualization is formed, e) that both the pandemic and the subsequent restrictive measures have had a significant impact on the majority of precarious young people, effectively causing a rupture in their already precarious life course and f) that all the abovementioned have a severe impact on key determinants of political behavior - mentalities as well as on public trust among young people. The paper is based on an ongoing Research Project, co-financed by Greece and the European Union (European Social Fund- ESF) through the Operational Programme "Human Resources Development, Education and Lifelong Learning 2014-2020" in the context of the project "Precarious Work and Youth in today's Greece: secondary quantitative analysis, qualitative filed research and research-based policy proposals" (MIS 5048510).