Young moms compete with fresh graduates on the labour market

Employment rate in Hungary is much higher among men than women, while young women – including young moms – are less mobile when it comes to looking for a job than men. Young moms traditionally do not belong to the group of job-seeking youth, but according to a new research of Coca-Cola Hungary’s #YouthEmpowered programme, they often face the same challenges and questions as fresh graduates. But what motivates them in job-seeking and how can they be helped in order to find the most suitable job while raising a child? These were the main questions of the research conducted by Kantar Hoffmann and Medián.

A research on the job-seeking habits of young people was conducted by Kantar Hoffmann and Medián. The research, which has been commissioned by Coca-Cola Hungary’s #YouthEmpowered programme, focuses primarily on NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) youth, but has also covered young women including mothers under the age of 35. It was quickly revealed that while they have more professional experience and are not short in ideas either, in the matter of confidence and inspirational examples, they are often on the same level as career starters. The research has also covered typical ways of job-seeking, mobility among jobseekers, as well as their previous experiences and willingness to continue to study.

Based on the research of Medián, before the COVID-19 pandemic, the most typical way of finding a new workplace was through the recommendations of friends and family, regardless of the region of the country or the age of the candidates. Over 50% of young people have found their workplace through a recommendation, while looking for a job on the internet was only the second most popular way of job-seeking. The latter method however proved to be much more popular among young women – over 30% of them have found a job on the internet, while this percentage is only 21 among men. According to the statistics of #YouthEmpowered, young women are much more open to e-learning as well: since the launch of #YouthEmpowered’s online training modules in 2018, almost three times more women have registered to the free courses than men.

However, when it comes to a possible relocation or working abroad, women seem to be much less mobile than men. According to the research of Kantar Hoffmann, most young mothers are choosing a job based on how easy it is to get there, and how close it is to kindergarten or school. A possible need to commute to the workplace or a relocation are considered a drawback of a job opportunity. While aspects of parenting are key for young mothers when looking for a job, the rest of their expectations don’t differ very much from the ones of fresh graduates. The desire to continue to study and develop their skills, and to find the most interesting, suitable job is present in the thinking of most of young moms, but with the lack of proper motivation, support and inspirational examples they are facing difficult decisions and often end up deciding based on the practical aspects of a job, ones that make parenting easier.

 What would help young moms in job-seeking?

According to a new research conducted during pandemic, 28% of young moms are willing to take on a job, if the conditions are suitable. But what is it that halts young moms and what would help them in finding a new job? These were some of the questions Coca-Cola Hungary has focused on when it has launched its #YouthEmpowered programme in 2017 with the aim to enhance the chances of young people between 18-30 on the labour market. Acknowledging that young parents are also part of the target group, the programme has been cooperating with the Budapest-based Coworkid Association ever since the beginning. Together, they have organised interactive workshops and in-person trainings for smaller groups. Led by professional trainers, the events help participants to develop skills related to job-seeking or changing their career path, but they also receive help in self-understanding, communication and acknowledging their values and skills. Based on the experiences of the programme, in their case it is not so much the lack of professional experience or a professional background, but rather the lack of motivation and an inspirational community that is halting them from finding the most suitable job opportunity.

Organisers of the events, members of Coworkid Association are young parents themselves, so they easily take into account the needs of young mothers.

Apart from in-person trainings, the programme offers free online trainings to young mothers as well, in order to help those who cannot attend in-person trainings because of the distance or the lack of time. The modules that are available at www.enjovom.hu are partially overlapping, partially complementing the material of in-person trainings. Their popularity is proven by the fact that even during the pandemic thousands of registered users have been studying on the platform, all over the country. Continuing the events organised for young moms and developing the training materials aiming to help young entrepreneurs are both among the long-term goals of the programme.

More information and registration to online trainings: www.enjovom.hu