Edinburgh Napier University

  As the economic downturn continues in Europe, unemployment has risen in many countries.
Among these, the UK has an unemployment rate which now stands at 8% or 2.56 million
people. Of these people the unemployment rate amongst 16 to 24 year olds is particularly
high at 20.7% (just over 1 million people); this is especially problematic as research shows
that if one gets off to a bad start when moving from school or university into work, future job
prospects and general well-being may well be compromised. Researchers such as Bell and
Blanchflower (2011), Dieckhoff (2011) and Gregg and Tominey (2005) found that periods of
unemployment when young may blight the future of young people in terms of their future
labour market outcomes, such as the likelihood of further unemployment, lower pay, lower
job quality and reduced wellbeing -- this they termed the “scarring effect”. ....