The Australian labour market has rebounded strongly from the initial shock of the COVID-19 pandemic and the youth unemployment rate is close to a record low. But history teaches us that recessions can impart `scarring effects’ on the careers of young people for years after the event. This paper identifies priority areas where policy change could mitigate scarring – both following COVID-19 and in the aftermath of future economic downturns.

FAULT LINES: An independent review into Australia’s response to COVID-19
Peter Shergold AC, Jillian Broadbent AC, Isobel Marshall, Peter Varghese AO