Unemployed Hampshire youths feel 'hopeless' and 'powerless' as UK plunges into first recession in 11 years

Leaders at youth charity The Prince’s Trust have claimed the longer youngsters are out of work the worse their mental health can become.

It comes following a nationwide study of 2,103 people aged between 16 and 25 as part of the trust’s ‘youth index’.

This year’s report, revealed today, found that even before the coronavirus crisis the overall well-being of young people had plummeted to its lowest level in the study’s 11-year history.

Jonathan Townsend, The Prince’s Trust chief executive, said: ‘Our youth index has shown the link between unemployment and poor mental well-being among young people consistently over the years. These findings are more poignant than ever in the face of the current economic crisis and rising joblessness.

‘The events of recent months mean millions of young people all over the UK now face the prospect of unemployment, as well as the lasting damage this can have on their well-being and future opportunities. If we don’t act now, we risk a ‘lost generation’ of young people destined for long-term joblessness, mental health problems, and poverty.’

Some 85 people in Hampshire responded to the survey.

Results found nearly a third of those ‘always’ or ‘often’ felt hopeless and more than a third – 39 per cent – said they felt powerless to change their future.

More than half of those to respond in Hampshire (55 per cent) reported they ‘always’ or ‘often’ felt anxious and 31 per cent said they were ‘lacking confidence’ and felt they were going to ‘fail in life’.

The survey results came as the UK was pushed into its first recession in 11 years as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Figures revealed the economy shrank 20.4 per cent compared with the first three months of the year.

Household spending slumped as shops across the country were forced to close for months.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak warned the government was now ‘grappling with something that is unprecedented’ and that it was ‘a very difficult and uncertain time’.

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