Youth Economic Activity and Health Survey, 2021-2022

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The Youth Economic Activity and Health (YEAH) Survey, 2021-2022 was a major data collection effort to track the well-being, learning, and expectations of 16-25-year-olds in the second phase of the COVID-19 pandemic after effective vaccines had started to roll out. In all, it collected 8,000 data points between February 2021 to November 2022 using web interviews in quota samples recruited from proprietary access panels managed by Ipsos MORI and partners. The survey’s main objectives were to deliver intelligence on: 1. Successful transitions 2. Future planning, optimism and expectations 3. Learning progression in education and the world of work 4. Career development activities, career support and career progress 5. Health, subjective well-being, and support networks The project and data collection were led by Dr Golo Henseke as the Principal investigator. He is the primary contact. Professor Francis Green and Professor Ingrid Schoon guided and co-designed the survey at all stages of development. The project team was affiliated with IOE, UCL's Faculty of Education and Society. The survey was carried out by Ipsos MORI UK. Funding for this research was provided by the Economic and Social Research Council, Grant No. ES/V01577X/1.

This project Youth Economic Activity and Health (YEAH) addressed the UK's need for robust evidence on COVID-19's consequences for youth employment, learning and well-being. YEAH addressed five related research issues: 1. Successful transitions 2. Future planning and optimism 3. Learning 4. Internship and knowledge exchange 5. Youth employment support initiatives. To address some of the research questions, the project commissioned a survey of 16-25-year-olds in Britain, which is shared here. In all, the YEAH project provided valuable insights into the impacts of and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic on youth after effective vaccines had become available. We found a recovery in youth unemployment and life satisfaction across countries. For Britain, the recovery in life satisfaction was explained by increased social contacts, receding worries about career prospects and job skills learning, and opportunities for job skills learning. The project also examined the perceived effects of the pandemic on the learning of job skills and career planning in post-Brexit Britain over time and between groups of young people. The project emphasised the importance of social contacts, career prospects, job skills learning, and career preparation activities in supporting youth's well-being during and after the pandemic.