Report - OSH in figures: Young workers - Facts and figures

Chapters in this Publication

Chapter 01 - Introduction

The first chapter, Introduction, gives the background of the report and a definition of young workers. Read more...

Chapter 02 - Youth employment in Europe

The second chapter of the report, Youth Employment in Europe, presents a statistical portrait of the young workers within the labour force. It describes the number/proportion and evolution of young workers within the total workforce, the sectors and occupations in which they are employed, the distribution of young male and female workers and their types of contracts. The proportion of young workers is decreasing: this can be observed in almost all of the Member States. In the EU-25, unemployment rates of young workers are on average twice as high as the total unemployment rates. There are gender differences faced by young workers just as there are in the general working population. More young men than women are at work. Gender issues strongly contribute to different hazard exposure and therefore to different health outcomes. A sectoral breakdown for young workers shows that within the EU-25, the highest proportion of young workers can be found within "Hotels and restaurants" and "Trade". This distribution has important implications for the occupational safety and health of young people because of the specific set of harmful conditions that characterises these sectors (including low payment, temporary seasonal work, poor employment conditions and physically demanding work). Some information on the major risks to health and safety of young workers in these sectors are described here, illustrated by examples of specific research and workplace initiatives. Typical "young" occupations include service, shop and market sales work, work in the armed forces, and elementary occupations, for example low-skilled manufacturing jobs. Knowing where young workers are working suggests that these sectors should be targeted with help on their OSH training and prevention. Extensive information is also given from national sources. In comparison to the overall workforce, workers aged 15-24 years are less often in full-time employment, more often on temporary contracts, and more often salary workers. Many temporary workers in the EU-25 were under 25. Also, in 2005, one in four young workers had a part-time job. Part-time work is also increasing. According to research, people employed on temporary and part-time contracts have less access to training and to participation in long-term competence development than workers with permanent contracts. Temporary workers also have less control over the order of tasks, pace of work and work methods, they have lower job demands, and are less informed about risks at work. The level of salaries of part-time workers and social security benefits is often lower and jobs are typically monotonous. In addition, more than half of the young workers worked at least one Saturday per month. Young workers were also more likely to work shifts. Read more...

Chapter 03 - Young workers and exposure to risks

The third chapter, Young workers and exposure to risks, addresses the specific hazards and risks that young workers may face during their employment. These risks are often linked to certain sectors (e.g. hotels and restaurants, construction, agriculture, etc.), occupations and types of employment. Therefore, case studies and additional research information add depth to the general figures. Specific targeted measures need to be taken in education and training as well as in daily workplace practice. European and some national sources suggest that young workers are more exposed to the following physical work factors in comparison with the average working population: noise, vibrations, heat and cold, and the handling of dangerous substances. According to survey results from EU and national sources, physically demanding work factors (such as working in awkward positions, handling heavy loads, and repetitive work) seem to be more common among young workers than in the average workforce. As a result, young workers are at considerable risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders (including low back pain). As the pace of life and work continues to increase in today's world, young people (like the average worker) are having more and more to work to tight deadlines and at very high speed. And even though surveys suggest that they work fewer hours than the average working population, young people do more shift work and have more irregular working hours. Young women with precarious jobs in the hotel and service industry are many times more likely to be exposed to the risk of sexual harassment. Read more...

Chapter 04 - Health outcomes

The fourth chapter, Health outcomes, addresses health outcomes among young workers as a result of their employment. These outcomes are divided into occupational accidents, occupational diseases and self-reported health problems. These outcomes are often linked to certain sectors (e.g. hotels and restaurants, construction, agriculture, etc.), occupations and types of employment. Therefore, case studies and additional research information add depth to the general figures. Many of the sectors and occupations young people are employed in are characterised by high accident risks and exposure to many workplace hazards. National data suggests that young workers are at greater risk of having an occupational accident but that the average severity of these accidents is lower. Nevertheless, accident rates and causes of accidents vary greatly for different sectors and occupations. Fatal accident rates of young workers can be considerable in some sectors. Agriculture has the highest incidence rate of fatal accidents among young workers, followed by construction and transport and communication and manufacturing. Construction is the sector with the highest number of young worker fatalities. It is a worrying fact that fatalities due to violence in retail are increasing in some countries. They make up a high proportion of fatalities of women in this sector. The top 5 occupational diseases among workers aged 15-35 years are: allergic reactions; irritation of the skin; pulmonary disorders; infectious diseases and musculoskeletal disorders. Self-reported health problems highlighted are pulmonary disorders, and problems due to stress, depression and anxiety. Read more...

Chapter 05 - Legislation

The fifth chapter, Legislation, gives an overview of European and international policies aimed at young workers. This covers EU occupational safety and health legislation to protect young workers, European initiatives related to youth policies as well as international conventions and recommendations, for example to address the prevention of child labour. Read more...

Chapter 06 - Methodology

The sixth chapter, Methodology, gives an overview of the methodological issues of the report. The sources are both statistical and analytical background documents. The statistical sources are a combination of administrative registers and statistics (occupational disease registers, exposure registers), surveys, voluntary reporting systems and inspection reports. A global risk picture can thus be presented by combining different sources. This report also uses non-comparable data, examples from one Member State only, one-off studies, and studies from outside national official data to fill in the gaps and show some of the complexity of the situation of young workers' exposure to risk. Read more...

Chapter 07 - Discussion and conclusions

The seventh chapter, Discussion and conclusions, provides a summary of the main issues of the report, focusing on employment/unemployment of young workers, their health problems and occupational accidents, prevention, training and education and research needs. Work-related risks to young workers need to be taken seriously. Many of the risk factors are still being seen as inherent to their risk-taking behaviour or the temporal nature of their involvement in work. Specific targeted measures need to be taken in education and training, including for typically female occupations, as well as in daily workplace practice. This chapter gives some recommendations for research and prevention. Knowing which are their main health risks also implies that employers and young workers need awareness raising about these health risks. Employment agencies should also be targeted to raise awareness about the risks to which young workers are exposed; and inspectors trained about where most young workers are employed and which risks they face. Rehabilitation and employability policies for injured workers need to be refocused to include young workers. Read more...