Precarious work, precarious health: the impact of precarious employment on young adults' health and wellbeing in the UK

Transitioning into high-quality work has become increasingly challenging for young adults, with many spending more time moving between low-quality, 'entry-level' jobs before they are able to secure high-quality work. Previous sociological research has highlighted a growing cohort of young adults entering chronic cycles of precarious employment that are difficult to escape.
Learning from the 2008 recession, it is likely that the COVID-19 pandemic will exacerbate these trends, with high-quality jobs lost through redundancies replaced with lower-quality, less secure employment. Whilst there is a growing body of research on the health impacts of precarious employment, this remains an under-researched issue in the public health field.
This study will focus on young people's experiences of the labour market and the effect on their health outcomes and health behaviours, applying a mixed-methods approach. The project will first complete a qualitative study of young adults aged between 18-26-years-old living in Newcastle engaged in precarious forms of work, through interview and diary-based research methods, exploring how young adults experience precarious work and its impact on their health and wellbeing. The project will then complete longitudinal data analysis using Understanding Society, a UK household panel study. This analysis will provide longer-term insights on how exposure to precarious employment during this critical age could impact future health outcomes.
The project will develop new theoretical contributions for public health and meaningfully contribute to ongoing policy debates on improving work quality for young people and mitigating the worst effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.