What are the working conditions of young people aged 17-34? What are their monthly earnings and how does the month work out? Do they owe EFKA, tax authorities or banks? How many jobs do they do and how many hours a week do they work? Do they work overtime and, if so, are they paid for it? These are just a few of the questions that Eteron’s research attempted to answer.
The research was carried out in collaboration with aboutpeople throughout the country March of 2024 in a sample of 626 people, aged 17 – 34, private and public sector employees as well as self-employed with a pad.
The survey includes young men and women working in different employment statuses (full-time, temporary and part-time), as well as a limited number of young workers with an undeclared employment status.
The findings of the research are revealing both in terms of them working conditions of young peopleas well as in relation to effects of job insecurity experiences in ID card, their views and expectations.
Indicative:
– 35.9% of young people state that they work more than 40 hours a week.
– 52.8% of young people answer that the hours stipulated in the contract are not respected.
– 36.3% are neither paid nor get time off for the overtime they work.
– 42.6% of young people put high wages at the top of their priorities for their work in the future.
– 30.9% work on a subject unrelated to what they studied.
Part I: The working conditions of young people aged 17-34
1. Cost of living, monthly income and debt
1 in 3 people find it difficult enough to meet the needs of the month and limit themselves to the absolute necessities. For 35.3% of young people, the salary is enough for the basic expenses of the month but they do not save. Only 16% of young people answer that they cover their basic living needs every month without any problem and they save. Finally, 12.2% answer that they are often forced to borrow money to make ends meet.
The monthly income ranges between 700 – 1000 euros for 35.5% of new workers. 27.6% receive less than 700 euros per month, while the percentage of those whose monthly income exceeds 1000 euros amounts to 29.3%.
An additional factor that affects the lives of workers – young and not – in multiple ways is debt. It emerges from the survey data that despite their young age, 22.1% of young workers they pay monthly installments for debts to EFKA/tax office/banks. A further 6% of young people have previously been in debt but have paid off their debts.
Focusing on the ages 25-34, we notice that the percentage is even higher (26.2%). In fact, if we also add those who state that they had debts in the past but have repaid their debts, the survey results show that 1 in 3 people in this age group are currently experiencing or have experienced a debt problem in the past.
2. Parallel employment, working time and overtime
3 out of 8 people are doing now or did in the past second or even more jobs alongside the main job (37.8%). Particularly in the 25-34 age group, the percentage rises to 41.3%, while those who hold a master’s/doctorate degree are the first to record, where 1 in 2 people are now or have done in the past a second or more job alongside their main job.
In relation to working time, 35.9% of young people state that they work more than 40 hours per weeka rate that rises to 47.8% for full-time private employees.
The 52.8% of young people answers that the hours stipulated in the contract are not observed. It is noteworthy that in terms of overtime, no differences appear between the private and public sectors.
The phenomenon of unpaid overtime is widespread, as a percentage of new workers of this class is recorded 36.3% where they neither get paid nor get time off for the overtime they work.
3. Adverse attitudes and mistreatment in the workplace
Looking separately at the responses of young women and young men about adverse attitudes and mistreatment they have suffered in the context of work, the research data is revealing:
The 43.6% of young women consider the work pace exhaustingwhile the 28.5% they have undergone psychological bullying. Of particular note is the proportion of young women who have suffered sexist behavior (26%) and sexual harassment (12%) in the context of work. Finally, the 6% of young women report having suffered racist behavior.
Accordingly, 36.7% of young men find the pace of work exhausting, while 19.8% have suffered psychological bullying. 7.2% say they have experienced racist behavior, 3.8% sexist behavior and 3.8% sexual harassment.
It is noteworthy that in the first place of those who consider their work pace to be exhausting are the public servants.
Full survey HERE
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