Would you work for free?

Recruitment expert Adecco has conducted a survey as part of a research project which looks into the youth unemployment crisis. The results revealed that many young people will do whatever it takes to get on to the job ladder, with 49% saying they would even work for free.

Adecco’s discovery also highlighted that the higher the education level the young person achieved, the more willing they are to work for no wage at all. The survey found that 39% of young people with qualifications up to GCSE level would work for free, 50% with AS-level, 54% with A-levels or undergraduate degrees, and 68% of young people who have a postgraduate degree.

The reason Adecco believes that many young people are keen to work, even if it is not their career choice and the money does not reflect their skill level, is because of the social stigma that 16-24 year olds believe is attached to being unemployed.

But despite this stated willingness to work, 13% of young people have never been to a job interview due to lack of opportunity, rather than lack of trying. For the majority, the ratio of job applications to interview invitations stands at 10:1.   [ Source: Hamilton House Mailings ]