Time away from work 'hurts job prospects'

Young people will find it difficult to re-enter employment if they are out of work for long periods of time, it has been claimed.

Jim Hillage, director of research at the Institute for Employment Studies, said this could be a particular problem as the labour market heads into a downturn.

"There is quite strong evidence that the longer you are out of employment, or training as a young person, the harder it is to get a job in the long term," he added.

Mr Hillage commented on statistics released by the Scottish government, which indicate the proportion of school leavers in the country entering employment decreased by three percentage points to just over 25 per cent in 2007-08.

He said it highlights a pattern generally seen in Scotland which is slightly different to that for the rest of the UK.

The study found the overall proportion of people who are unemployed and seeking work or training has remained relatively stable at around 11 per cent over the last three years.

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Filed: 17-12-2008