ESRI reveals job fears for school-leavers

UNQUALIFIED school-leavers are five times more likely to be unemployed, new research shows.

Young men, it emerged, are continuing to leave school earlier than women and are facing a tough task finding work.

One-in-five teenagers who left school in 2004 are still unemployed.

Researchers found that education and earnings were directly related. School-leavers with no qualifications earned €6.99 an hour while those who achieved the Leaving Certificate averaged €9 an hour.

The survey also revealed that young men were being paid more than women on average a difference of €21 weekly.

In families where parents were unemployed, 28% of school-leavers in 2004 have no jobs.

The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) yesterday warned teenagers that job opportunities were now lower than at any stage over the last 10 years.

Unemployment levels for school-leavers rose sharply, from 11% in 1999 to 16% in 2002, before increasing further to 21% in 2004, the ESRI reported.

Selina McCoy, senior ESRI researcher, said: "As a result of greater entry to further study, the number of school-leavers directly entering the labour market has fallen somewhat since 2002.

"But those who did enter the labour market faced somewhat less favourable market conditions than in earlier years."

The ESRI annual school-leavers' survey 2002/2003 revealed 85% of young women achieved the Leaving Certificate, compared to 79% of males, a slight drop in the gap from figures recorded in 2002.

Less than 4% of teenagers left school without qualifications, with researchers estimating 1,320 males and 1,155 females did not pass any exams.

School factors such as relationships with teachers, enjoyment and bullying were the main reasons why teenagers left early but one-in-five young women blamed family reasons.

Some 44.7% of male school-leavers continued into third-level education compared to 53.3% of females, the survey showed.

The report warned that those without qualifications faced particularly difficult labour market prospects, with many finding it difficult to secure employment, while those that did were generally poorly paid.

Pupils are also continuing to work and study at the same time, the ESRI revealed. Some 53% of school-leavers had a job while at school, with participation highest among fifth year students.

The ESRI noted school-leavers' average weekly wages were going up, with an increase of €31 between 2002 and 2004.