Young people most affected by coronavirus unemployment with over 156,000 losing their jobs since May

The ONS said: “Over the quarter, there has been a large decrease in the number of young people in employment, while unemployment for young people has increased.”

There are now growing calls for Chancellor Rishi Sunak to step in and extend the furlough scheme in order to protect young workers.

Others want to see training programmes introduced so that the young do not flounder and fall into long term unemployment.

Jack Kennedy, economist at job site Indeed, said: “Younger workers have felt the pain of Britain’s job losses more quickly and more sharply than most. Partly this is because young people are more likely to be working in sectors hit hardest by the pandemic - such as retail and hospitality.

“But this is also a recurring trend - as anyone who lived through the recession of a decade ago can attest. During a downturn, the ratio of young unemployed people tends to rise more sharply than for other age groups.

“The challenge facing young people is where to turn. Job postings have fallen substantially compared to earlier this year and the signs are that the jobs recovery will be a protracted one with hiring in most sectors only spluttering."

Susannah Streeter, analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, added: "Generation Z has been hit particularly hard by the economic fall out of the pandemic as the retail and hospitality sectors, which have taken such a battering, are often relied on to help school and university leavers find an entry-level job, and get started in the world of work.

"Sadly, this may not just be a bump in the road but could have long term consequences for the path of their careers.

"In reality, the underlying picture of unemployment is likely to be even bleaker as it’s clear that the government’s furlough scheme has been masking the devastation wreaked by the pandemic on jobs and the wider economy. There is no surprise that calls for its extension are coming thick and fast, but the government reckons its £2 billion kick start scheme, offering subsidised jobs to 16-24 years olds will instead boost the prospects for this age group.

"But there is a risk that companies could be subsidised for hiring candidates for jobs they were always planning to create – without being significant enough to make up for the mass redundancies likely when the furlough scheme expires at the end of October."