These are among the key findings of a study by sociologists at the University of Bristol. The research, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, is based on a survey of 1,100 young people aged 20-34 in Bristol, and interviewers with local employers.
Prof Steve Fenton, co-author of the report says: "There is a lot said these days about the way in which the labour market is changing. Globalisation is forcing the workforce to become more adaptable, and many young people will respond enthusiastically to such challenges. But their attitude is shaped by their social class and the level of their education. There are a significant number of young people who have no wish to move beyond the community where they were brought up, perhaps because of family ties. And many young women have a surprisingly traditional view of the place of mothers in the workplace."
Family plays a major role in where young adults fit into the labour market. Those from professional backgrounds not only go to university, but 83% receive financial support from their parents for their education. The same is true for only 29% of those from social class 3.
Among those working in the least advantaged zones of Bristol, two-thirds had gone to city secondary schools. But in the most advantaged parts of the city, this was true of only one in six respondents. These high achievers work longer hours, earn more, defer marriage and expect to have a continued successful career.
Many who stay near their family home are young women who wish to remain close to their mothers. And although many young women speak of career plans, they are more likely to see friends, partners and children as more important. Over half the young women interviewed in Bristol supported a traditional view of family life: a quarter said the ideal was 'father working, mother not' while a further 38 per cent said it was 'father working, mother part-time'.
The researchers categorised young workers under four headings:
- Stickers take a job and keep it - many are university educated in higher occupations.
- Shifters move from job to job (or employer to employer) and are highly mobile, but their jobs tend to be low paid.
- Settlers move around for quite a long time, but eventually settle on a job they enjoy and which they do well.
- Switchers follow a distinct job pattern, but then make a dramatic switch.
The researchers found that while a significant number of young people conformed to a 'standard' career pattern of good education, training for a career, getting a job and doing well, there were others who drifted through many jobs before finding the right one. These successful young adults are joined by others who retrain later in life or opt for alternative careers in the voluntary sector, entertainment or the religious life.
But the authors also found that a significant minority lost out in the labour market as a result of childhood disadvantage, poor results at school, early leaving, racism, bullying, family unemployment and disruption or illness. In such mode there may be a lot of job shifting early on followed by long-term unemployment and involvement in the black economy. Others may drift into unemployment or casual work after an accident, sudden illness, parental death, marriage break-up or falling into debt.
Most young adults in Bristol recognise the need to adapt and are optimistic about their ability to do so. But others say they are happy to stay in the community where they grew up, perhaps because they wish to remain close to family or to stay within an ethnic group. The labour market among these young people is very different from that in which most young adults work.
Prof Harriet Bradley, co-author of the report adds: "Most young adults we spoke to in Bristol were confident about their career patterns and optimistic about their futures. They displayed a surprising willingness to adapt and shift jobs, but did not show the sort of insecurity which some commentators suggest comes with such transience. That is not to deny that a minority are pessimistic and even despairing. But it does suggest that flexibility is accepted and used by most.
"Some policymakers in government may welcome such adaptability, but will be more worried by the continuing persistence of social class as a determinant of future success. There are some heartening exceptions, of course, but class remains highly significant in deciding what sort of education and career pattern young adults will follow."
For further information: Professor Steve Fenton on 44-117-928-7689 / 8216 or email steve.fenton@bristol.ac.uk
Or Professor Harriet Bradley on 44-117-928-7797 or email harriet.bradley@bristol.ac.uk
Or Iain Stewart at ESRC External Relations on 44-179-341-3032
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. The research report "Winners and Losers in Labour Markets: Young Adults' Employment Trajectories" was funded by the Economic and Research Council. The research was conducted by Professor C S Fenton, Professor H K Bradley and Ms J A West from the Department of Sociology at the University of Bristol.
2. The research was carried out in Bristol. It involved interviews with employers and local agencies; exploratory interviews with 50 young adults; a survey of 1,100 young adults in four areas of the city; and follow-up interviews with 80 respondents. The areas differ in social and economic composition.
3. The ESRC is the UK's largest funding agency for research and postgraduate training relating to social and economic issues. It has a track record of providing high-quality, relevant research to business, the public sector and Government. The ESRC invests more than £76 million every year in social science. At any time, its range of funding schemes may be supporting 2,000 researchers within academic institutions and research policy institutes. It also funds postgraduate training within the social sciences thereby nurturing the researchers of tomorrow. The ESRC website address is http://www.esrc.ac.uk
4. REGARD is the ESRC's database of research. It provides a key source of information on ESRC social science research awards and all associated publications and products. The website can be found at http://www.regard.ac.uk.