Covid-19 “has had a profound impact on young people’s jobs” survey finds

Drive My Career is the employment initiative launched by the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) in 2018. Drive My Career polls its target audience regularly to investigate their perception of the automotive sector and, more recently, the impact that Covid-19 has had on employment.

The most recent survey, run between the end of September and the beginning of October, received 158 responses from people aged 16-24 years old working across all sectors, but in particular hospitality and retail (not including automotive). Respondents were asked questions which focused on the impact that Covid-19 has had on their employment and the job market.

Answering the question “Has your job role been affected by Covid-19?”, 42 per cent said yes. Over half of the respondents said their jobs had not been affected by Covid-19, however, the same percentage of respondents (58 per cent) said they are currently looking for a new job.

Out of those looking for a job, 47 per cent claimed that finding a job was more difficult than usual, 39 per cent said that it was “very difficult” and only 11 per cent believed finding a job was “not more difficult than usual”.

In addition to the material currently available on its website and regularly shared on social media, Drive My Career will be updating and tailoring advice to reflect the current times. This will include tips for ‘virtual interviews’ as well as to ‘create the perfect CV’.

Sue Robinson, NFDA chief executive, commented: “As expected, Covid-19 has had an impact on young people’s positions in the job market. Within the automotive retail sector, despite the significant challenges dealers have been facing, businesses remain committed to supporting their employees.

“Although the number of jobs available has decreased, Drive My Career will continue to share advice and useful material with job seekers to support them during these difficult times. We will be monitoring the job market and the ongoing challenges that young people may be facing ahead of starting rewarding careers within our industry in the near future.

“Going forward, NFDA will continue to assist dealers with a number of employment-related issues, in particular, thanks to the recently launched HR survey which will highlight key areas currently affecting businesses”.