Six out of 10 students anxious about finding a job due to COVID-19 pandemic, says study

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Six out of 10 students are anxious about finding a job due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, says a survey carried out by Population Foundation of India.

The survey conducted in Bihar, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh looked into the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young people in the age group of 15-24 years.

Out of 801 people surveyed, 460 identified themselves as those who were employed, unemployed but actively looking for a job, or about to enter the job market soon. When they were asked if their worries about getting a decent job had increased during the ongoing pandemic and lockdown, 51 (out of 460) answered in the affirmative.

Among these, 43 percent were those who were already employed and 31 percent were those who were unemployed and actively looking for employment.

Poonam Muttreja, executive director of PFI, said: "With young people making up almost one-fifth of our population it is imperative that we look closely at the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown on their health and wellbeing.  Recommendations emerging from these studies will contribute to the development of more responsible and comprehensive policies, programmes and interventions for adolescent health in India.”

Rise in workload at home

The survey showed that 42 percent respondents said their workload of domestic chores had increased during the lockdown. Overall, 51 percent females said they experienced an increase in their workload compared to 23 percent males.

There were regional variations. In Bihar, only 26 percent women said their workload had increased while in Uttar Pradesh, 96 percent female respondents reported an increase in their workload.

UNESCO estimates that nearly 158 million girls enrolled in schools or universities in India are currently out of school because of coronavirus-related closures.

Feelings of depression

The survey showed that a small cohort, about 179 out of 801 respondents, said they were experiencing feelings of depression.

Here, an even smaller cohort – 53 out of 801 respondents–said they were feeling irritable or frustrated due to lack of privacy at home during the lockdown. Among these, an equivalent number of males and females across the three states (overall, 22 percent females and 24 percent males) reported feelings of depression.

The highest was 29 percent males in Uttar Pradesh who responded saying they felt depressed during the lockdown. The study said when probed further, many feelings of anxiety or depression could be traced to economic uncertainty, the inability to move outside and socialise, and fears of the virus itself.

A curious coincidence was between those who reported feeling depressed and those who reported spending more time watching television. The study said 65 percent of those respondents who said they were feeling depressed, reported watching more television.

Also, 58 percent of those respondents who said they were feeling depressed, reported an increase in their social media use.

Lockdown leading to more fights at home

The study showed nearly one out of four respondents reported an increase in fights at home (total 187, or 23 percent).

Overall, more women (26 percent) than men (19 percent) said fights at home had increased during the lockdown.

In Uttar Pradesh, where an equal number of males and females (12 male and 13 female out of 255 respondents) reported an increase in fights at home. Both these figures, however, were equally low (10 percent each) compared to the three-state average mentioned above.

In Rajasthan, 38 percent women reported an increase in fights at home, presenting the highest figures across different social groups (of sex, age, education, social indices) in the three states.

With respect to COVID-19, the study showed young people were aware of the symptoms, care, and safety measures.

In Bihar, young boys could not be included in the survey. This is because the list provided by NGO partners, who had project interventions with them, only included girls.