每日英語跟讀 Ep.999: Young and Jobless in Europe:‘It’s Been Desperate’
Like millions of young people across Europe, Rebecca Lee, 25, has suddenly found herself shut out of the labor market as the economic toll of the pandemic intensifies.Her job as a personal assistant at a London architecture firm was eliminated in September.
隨著疫情造成的經濟災情加劇，25歲的蕾貝卡‧李伊跟歐洲數百萬青年一樣，突然發現自己被勞動市場拒於門外。她在倫敦一家建築師事務所的個人助理工作，在9月被裁撤了。
Lee, who has a degree in illustration from the University of Westminster, sent out nearly 100 job applications. After scores of rejections, she finally landed a two-month contract at a family-aid charity that pays 10 pounds (about $13) an hour.
具有西敏寺大學插畫學位的李伊送出近百份工作申請。在遭到數十次拒絕後，終於跟一個家庭援助慈善機構簽下為期兩個月的合約，時薪10英鎊（約13美元）。
“At the moment I will take anything I can get,” Lee said. “It’s been desperate.”
李伊說：「現在什麼工作我都肯幹。我已經走投無路了。」
The coronavirus pandemic is rapidly fueling a new youth unemployment crisis in Europe. Young people are being disproportionately hit, economically and socially, by lockdown restrictions, forcing many to make painful adjustments and leaving policymakers grasping for solutions.
新冠病毒大流行正在歐洲迅速引發新的青年失業危機。封鎖限制措施對年輕人在經濟與社會上造成超出比例的打擊，迫使許多人做出痛苦的調整，也讓決策者急於尋求解方。
Years of job growth has eroded in a matter of months, leaving more than twice as many young people than other adults out of work. The jobless rate for people 25 and under jumped from 14.7% in January to 17.6% in August, its highest level since 2017.
數年來的就業成長在短短幾個月內消失了，失業的年輕人是其他成年人的兩倍多。25歲及以下族群失業率從1月的14.7%躍升至8月的17.6%，來到2017年來最高水準。
Europe is not the only place where younger workers face a jobs crunch. Young Americans are especially vulnerable to the downturn. But in Europe, the pandemic’s economic impact puts an entire generation at risk, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
歐洲並非年輕勞工面臨就業危機的唯一地方。美國的年輕人尤其容易受到經濟衰退影響，但根據經濟合作發展組織的數據，這場疫情在歐洲造成的經濟影響，卻讓一整個世代面臨風險。
Young people are overrepresented in sectors where jobs are disappearing, including travel, retail and hospitality. Graduates are facing unprecedented competition for even entry-level positions from a tsunami of newly laid-off workers.
在就業機會正在消失的產業裡年輕人比例過高，這些產業包括旅遊、零售與餐館飯店業。畢業生即便謀求基層職位，也得與一海票剛遭解雇的勞工進行空前激烈的競爭。
The scarring effects may linger. “If you’re unemployed earlier on in your career, you’re more likely to experience joblessness in the future,” said Neal Kilbane, a senior economist at Oxford Economics.
牛津經濟研究院資深經濟學家尼爾‧基爾班表示，這種疤痕效應可能會持續下去。「若在個人職涯早期就失業，未來失業的可能性就更大。」
The European Union is trying to cushion the blow by encouraging businesses to recruit young people. But such programs may have little impact as Europe confronts its worst recession since World War II.
歐盟正嘗試透過鼓勵企業招聘年輕人來緩解這一衝擊，但在歐洲面對二戰以來最嚴重經濟衰退之際，這類計畫只恐成效甚微。
Europeans coming of age in the pandemic are lowering their expectations of the jobs and careers they can get. Many are resorting to internships, living with parents or returning to school to ride out the storm. Young workers without higher education risk sliding even further.
在疫情期間成年的那些歐洲人，已壓低自身對於可獲得工作與職涯的期望。許多人利用實習、與父母同住或者重回學校來度過危機。未受過高等教育的年輕勞工，前景更不容樂觀。
Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/359091/web/
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