The majority of graduates entering the Irish workforce find themselves in a so-called “entry-level paradox”, a no man’s land where they feel it is “impossible to get experience without a job, and impossible to get a job without experience,” a new survey has spelled out.
Recent findings from a report by Bord Bia “reveal concern” among young professionals seeking entry-level roles, with 88 per cent of female and 78 per cent of male respondents identifying themselves within the paradox.
Seven in 10 of those surveyed said they “feel like they’re falling behind” compared to their peers when they announce career milestones on social media, “with female graduates significantly more likely than males” to feel so.
Up to 78 per cent of recent and soon-to-be graduates “feel overwhelmed” by the volume of choice to be made when deciding on a career and are “unsure where to begin,” the survey found.
“Financial stability” ranked the most important factor in their decision-making process and was followed closely by “long-term career opportunities” and a “guaranteed placement with a real company,” the Bord Bia talent academy said.
Employment data compiled by the Central Statistics Office showed that the youth unemployment rate in the State, that is those between the ages of 15 and 24 not in full-time education, training or work, has been at least twice as high as the general population above the age of 25 every month so far this year.
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Most recently, the youth unemployment rate in August stood at 12.3 per cent, over three times higher than the 3.9 per cent rate for those over the age of 25.
A report published last week by the independent think-tank Tasc and the National Youth Council of Ireland found that the number of young people in work remained far below the pre-2008 financial crash levels.
The report said “a period of unemployment early in life can interrupt the accumulation of skills and experience, weaken labour market attachment, reduce future earnings and increase the risk of later unemployment”.
Bord Bia partnered with Bounce Insights, a Dublin-based consumer and market research firm, to conduct the new research, with engagement from over 500 young people between the ages of 18 and 29 who were either enrolled in full-time third-level education, have graduated recently or are in their first or second job since graduating.
While 37 per cent of respondents signalled a desire to continue their education to a postgraduate level, either in Ireland or internationally, 59 per cent indicated that this is not financially feasible for them.
Nearly eight in 10 of those surveyed, 78 per cent, said they worry about their employment prospects after leaving full-time education given the widespread difficulty in finding meaningful work experience during that time.