Abstract
Graduate unemployment is a growing problem in South Africa that has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study focuses on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant lockdowns on unemployed graduates at the University of Johannesburg. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with graduates, the study focuses on graduates’ strategies for seeking employment, their future prospects for work, and their wellbeing and future aspirations in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the growing scarcity of salaried employment, and the difficulty graduates face in finding employment that matches their skill level, the majority of graduates in this study were applying for jobs that were significantly below their skill level. The findings reveal that in the absence of full-time salaried work many graduates are joining the gig economy, experimenting with various entrepreneurial endeavours, and taking up opportunities to learn new skills. The research shows that as a result of the pandemic the economic consequences of the pandemic have not fallen on all shoulders with the same gravity and that prevailing susceptibilities and inequalities have been laid bare and engrained. Graduates from poor socio-economic backgrounds have been the most disadvantaged and the least able to navigate an economy with a shrinking number of jobs. This study shows that graduate’s socio-economic situation, including that of their families, has a significant impact on their ability to learn about and access jobs. This study contributes to the body of knowledge regarding the social and economic costs of graduate unemployment. It also points to the need for universities to re-design their curriculum and career guidance support to match the changing skills landscape while also promoting lifelong learning opportunities, in order to enhance graduates’ opportunities for employment in the future.