College of Nursing, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Department of Economics, Faculty of Arts, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
PLoS One. 2024 Aug 29;19(8):e0309720. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0309720. eCollection 2024.
The COVID-19 pandemic, a global health crisis, was acutely felt in the labour market for many young workers. Importantly, precarious employment, identified as an emergent social determinant of health, may negatively affect the mental health and well-being of young workers. To this end, we engaged with young workers to understand their workplace needs and challenges in the COVID-19 era and hear their recommendations for action. Semi-structured interviews and a graphic recording focus group were conducted with 33 young workers aged 18-26 years old in Manitoba, Canada, who had worked a minimum of 30 hours per week prior to COVID-19 onset and were living independent of their parents. Analysis involved delineating units of meaning from the data, clustering these to form thematic statements and extracting themes. Second-level analysis involved applying themes and sub-themes to a social determinants of health framework. The multifaceted, compounding realities of young workers' pre-COVID-19 employment situations were amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, adversely impacting young worker's mental health. Unique findings from this study highlight the generational differences in this cohort, who are opposed to participating in fragmented systemic structures (neoliberalism) and inequitable employment conditions, and who yearn for social inclusion and work-life balance. Their recommendations for government and employers call for permanent and stable employment opportunities, economic and mental health supports, and space to be heard and valued, as they navigate the many life course challenges as emerging adults. Societies are dependent on young workers to develop and support the Canadian economy for future generations. Thus, it is a critical that recommendations proposed by young workers in this study be acted upon and implemented to provide an equitable, stable, and supportive future for young workers in Canada and beyond.
新冠疫情是一场全球性的健康危机，对许多年轻工人的劳动力市场产生了严重影响。重要的是，不稳定的就业被认为是一个新兴的社会健康决定因素，可能会对年轻工人的心理健康和幸福感产生负面影响。为此，我们与年轻工人合作，了解他们在新冠疫情时代的工作场所需求和挑战，并听取他们对行动的建议。我们在加拿大马尼托巴省对 33 名年龄在 18 至 26 岁之间的年轻工人进行了半结构式访谈和图形记录焦点小组讨论，这些工人在新冠疫情爆发前每周至少工作 30 小时，并且独立于父母生活。分析包括从数据中划分出有意义的单位，将这些单位聚类形成主题陈述，并提取主题。二级分析涉及将主题和子主题应用于健康的社会决定因素框架。年轻工人在新冠疫情前的就业情况复杂多样，这些情况在新冠疫情期间进一步加剧，对年轻工人的心理健康产生了不利影响。这项研究的独特发现强调了这一年轻工人群体的代际差异，他们反对参与零碎的系统结构（新自由主义）和不平等的就业条件，并渴望社会包容和工作与生活的平衡。他们对政府和雇主的建议呼吁提供永久和稳定的就业机会、经济和心理健康支持，并为他们提供表达意见和被重视的空间，因为他们作为新兴成年人面临着许多人生道路的挑战。社会依赖年轻工人为加拿大和未来的几代人发展和支持加拿大经济。因此，本研究中年轻工人提出的建议必须得到重视和实施，为加拿大乃至全球的年轻工人提供一个公平、稳定和支持性的未来。
