Scarring effects for young people in challenging economic times: a conceptual synthesis and future policy and research agenda

ABSTRACT

A renewed conceptual framework of labour market scarring is developed. Due to economic shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic, labour market scarring presents an important policy problem. The paper first outlines the theoretical mainstream view on scarring and argues that existing theoretical frame works on labour market scarring are not sufficient to understand the post-COVID labour market for graduates. We identify three areas in which mainstream understanding overlooks and discusses their explanatory value in understanding contextual mediatory factors and non-economic effects of initial scarring. A case is made for qualitative research and career development approaches to understand the processes of scarring as these provide further insight into its socio-psychological manifestations and consequences.

KEYWORDS:

• Graduates
• labour market
• scarring
• economic shocks
• disruptions

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Michael Tomlinson

Michael Tomlinson is Professor of Higher Education and Work at the Southampton Education School, University of Southampton. He has extensively researched the area of graduate employability and transitions to the labour market and his work is conceptually and critically informed. Michael is the author and co-author of five books which have brought together his thinking in these fields and serves on the editorial boards of Journal of Education and Work, British Journal of Sociology of Education and Higher Education Policy.

Gerbrand Tholen

Gerbrand Tholen is Reader in Sociology at City, University of London at the Department of Sociology and Criminology. His research interests are centred around education, skills, jobs, occupations and the labour market.