Millennials (those born after 1982) in the UK who are working in part-time and temporary jobs are more likely to experience poor mental health, according to a study from think tank IPPR.

The IPPR study claims that younger workers in temporary jobs are 29% more likely to experience mental health problems, compared to those in permanent jobs. It also finds that 1 in 5 younger graduates who are in jobs for which they are overqualified report being anxious or depressed (22%) – compared to 16% of graduates in professional/managerial jobs.

The study follows the recently published Taylor Review which provided recommendations regarding the state of modern employment practices in the UK.

“As a result of the evolution of the UK labour market over the past 25 years, today’s generation of younger workers - millennials and centennials (those born during or after 1982) – risk losing out on access to permanent, secure and fulfilling work,” the study said. “Compared to previous generations, they are more likely to be in work characterised by contractual flexibility (including part-time work, temporary work and self-employment). Relatedly, they are also more likely to be underemployed (and so be working fewer hours than they would like) and/or overqualified (being a graduate in a non-professional or managerial job).”

According to the study, younger workers on zero-hours contracts are 13% more likely than those in other forms of work to experience mental health problems, even when controlling for variables including household income and mental health outcomes during adolescence. Younger workers in part-time jobs were 43% more likely to experience mental health problems compared to those in full-time jobs (20% compared to 14%). Meanwhile, younger workers in part-time jobs are also 33% more likely than those in full-time jobs to fall within the bottom 10% of the English adult population according to mental wellbeing (aged 16 and above).