COVID-19, another stumbling block for young people

COVID-19, another stumbling block for young people

COVID-19 has resulted in another stumbling block for young people when it comes to gaining access to property so as to be able to become independent. In this blog, last week, we wrote about the facts and figures shown by the Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) concerning the types of housing tenure in Spain, and we pointed out that in the year 2020, 25,6% of young people aged between 30 and 34 lived with their parents. As we mentioned in that article, this means more than 5 points with regard to the year 2013, and more than one point in  relation to 2019. However, if we pay attention to young people under 30, only 45% of them succeeded in becoming emancipated, meaning the lowest figure since 2013. It is very significant that in the three previous years the percentage of youth emancipation was 52%, which is more than six points above the percentage of 2020. These facts and figures would imply a change in trend  since the COVID-19 arrived on the scene. It seems clear that since the burst of the pandemic it has become much more difficult for young people to gain independence. In this blog, just before the health crisis, we wrote an article about the difficulties that young people had to face in order to become emancipated. In that article we said that the average age related to emancipation was around 30, which is 4 years more than the average age in Europe. According to the Instituto Nacional de Estadística, 37% of young Spanish people pointed out that the main problem they face regarding emancipation is related to the lack of job security. Furthermore, 33% of them attribute it to insufficient income and 20% to the high rental prices. As regards employment, young people think that the low salaries together with their scarce experience as well as the temporary contracts and the lack of labour rights are all responsible and to blame for the little chance they have to get a job which would enable them to become independent.

FORCED TO TAKE A STEP BACKWARDS

According to a report carried out by the Instituto Nacional de Estadística, in Spain women become emancipated sooner than men. In 2020, 53% of women under the age of 30 became independent, whereas only 37% of the men were able to emancipate themselves. However, if we take a look at an upper age sector, we can see that 58% of women aged between 30 and 34 were able to emancipate themselves, whereas the number of men of the same age dropped to 47%. Many young Spanish people had been able to become independent, but in 2020 they were forced to share their flats so as to be able to pay the rent, and some of them even had to go back to live with their parents. This situation has given them a reality check as it has been a heavy psychological blow because it implies a setback in their vital expectations as well as in their personal development. Regarding these young people, it is estimated that in 2020, 228.600 of them had to take a step back and return to live with their parents although they had previously become independent. It is calculated that among them 4 out of 10 did not work and those who did have a job had precarious employment with low salaries which were insufficient to gain emancipation. It is believed that in 2020, more than 70.000 young people aged between 25 and 30 had had to return to live with their parents after having been independent.

COVID-19, another stumbling block for young people

AWAITING A LAW ON HOUSING

In the hope that the pandemic is overcome and that there is an increase in employment opportunities, young people look forward to the future law on housing. They think that if this law is finally passed, then the price of rental housing will be regulated and thus facilitate its access. However, currently, this law is stalled and does not move forward. But to what extent is it feasible so that it can finally be passed? Once this law is passed, then the conditions for young people to gain independence can improve. For the time being, in the short term, significant changes will not take place. Nevertheless, we will be on the lookout for any meaningful changes in this regard.

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