In Spain, for at least two decades, we have been facing a deepening of the generation gap. Our country has a serious structural problem with youth employment, which is expressed in an excessively high unemployment rate compared to neighboring countries, unacceptable temporary employment, low wages and jobs with low qualifications. This instability makes it difficult—almost impossible—for the younger generations to access a home, build a life project and face any unexpected event. All of this has been affecting youth individually and collectively, increasing mental health problems and generating disaffection, disappointment and, on many occasions, anger.
The discomfort of young people with their living conditions, materialized on many occasions by job insecurity, is the order of the day. We experienced it in 2008 with the financial crisis, which led many young people to emigrate, with the consequent loss of talent for our country. We have increased it during a pandemic, in which youth have been made invisible by more urgent priorities. And we continue to live it in a context of war, geopolitical crisis and change in the economic cycle that once again fills the future with uncertainty. In short, a generation that has grown from historical fact to historical fact, and which right now demands attention.
Although in the last year we have seen that legislative reforms have made it possible for this group to be one of the main protagonists of employment growth or improvement of conditions such as temporary employment, the problems continue to be much deeper. People under 30 years of age are the ones who have suffered the most from the deterioration of their working conditions because they are the ones with the most precarious relationships with their jobs and the ones who are experiencing an obstacle course based on the concatenation of crises. They are an example, even with the improvements, that getting a job does not guarantee having access to a home, thinking about starting a family in whatever format, or simply training to obtain the skills required by new jobs that already involve environmental, digital or demographic challenges. As an example, digitization is a great challenge in Spain, since 35% of all jobs are associated with a high risk of automation. Therefore, education in digital skills, knowledge and skills is essential to reach the entire young population.
The consequences of this lack of attention are especially serious for the most vulnerable young people. The rate of risk of poverty and social exclusion (AROPE), which before the 2008 crisis was lower among youth than among the general population, however, doubled in 2015, growing much more intensely among young people than among the general population. Based on 2021 data, the AROPE rate among people aged 16-19 was 33%, compared with 27% for the general population. This picture is unacceptable for a society that hopes to maintain, and even increase, its prosperity in the long term.
For this reason, we cannot afford to take steps backwards in the youth rights agenda. The lack of specific policies, of a protection system according to their needs and of mechanisms for encouragement, care and guidance, has led many young generations to feel excluded or marginalized in the social, economic and political life of the country. Ultimately, they feel how the system has failed them.
Undoubtedly, the generation gap goes beyond the income levels that a decent job can provide, but already reaches the possibility of having expectations and a life project, as previous generations had.
Now it’s time to talk about what types of jobs the new generations want and, with it, what kind of future they want. Youth emancipation, which implies access to adequate and affordable housing, as well as quality services that satisfy the basic needs of young people, becomes not only a right, but is also the element that will determine what this country and this society will be in the next 50 years. And within this young group we have to pay special attention to those who come from more vulnerable contexts, who have been facing harsher conditions, because they are the ones who are most at risk of being left behind. Therefore, in this electoral campaign and in view of 23-J, putting youth at the center of the debate should be fundamental for all political parties.
Recovering the confidence of the young generations is a task that concerns us all, and a vital tool to achieve this is quality public policies. It would be a mistake to think that, with the passage of time, the situation of youth will improve automatically, as a result of the spillover effect caused by an expansive economic cycle. We need more youth policies that focus on providing training and guidance opportunities that increase quality and guarantee employment, and those that promote those young people who wish to start their own entrepreneurial projects.
Our youth is full of talent, creativity and energy. If we provide them with the necessary tools and opportunities, we can witness a true transformation in our society. The time has come to inspire and be inspired, to build an environment full of opportunities and to open the doors to a new generation. The future depends on it.
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