My pay is just depressing. There's not a lot of money left at the end of the month but I'm really not in a position to ask for a rise when there are people who will do my job for less than I get paid Vicky Cooper, 24 Receptionist in Weymouth

Young workers have been hit hard by the economic downturn new research suggests, with under-30s seeing their real wages fall much faster than every other age group.

Like millions of young workers 24-year-old Vicky Cooper hasn't had a decent pay rise for years.

"It's just so depressing," the receptionist from Weymouth told Newsbeat.

"But I'm in no position to ask for a rise when there are people who will do my job for less than I get paid."

It's well known that under-25s are struggling to find work.

The latest official figures show that 935,000 are unemployed in the UK.

But a new study also suggests how young people already employed in both full and part-time jobs have been hit by the economic downturn.

Research by the Institute for Employment Studies and Newsbeat suggests those under 30 have seen their real pay fall £890 a year since the credit crunch first hit in 2008.

"While rising prices have eaten into the living standards of all employees, younger workers' pay packets have shrunk even faster than those of their parents and older workers," said the IES's Jim Hillage.

"There are fewer jobs for young people and those who do work find they are working fewer hours for less pay."

Watch: Sir Richard Branson and James Caan on making it in business

Pay under pressure

Young staff have been hit by the triple whammy of low pay rises, slow economic growth and the rising cost of living since 2008.

Average pay per hour 16 to 19-year-olds = £5.12



18 to 21-year-olds = £7.32



22 to 29-year-olds = £11.36



All ages = £14.60

The average 16 to 29-year-old was paid £333 a week in 2010, a drop of £17 in two years after changes to the cost of living are factored in.

Those aged 16-21 fared even worse - their real pay fell by £21 a week.

There are two reasons for the dip.

The average pay of a worker under 30 fell by 25p an hour in real terms between 2008 and 2010, according to an analysis of the latest official figures.

Young staff are also at work for fewer hours each week.

People aged 16-21 are particularly affected, working two hours a week less than in 2008.

That can partly be explained by a rise in temporary jobs as teenagers and 20 somethings decide to stay on in education or take part-time work, rather than hunt for a full-time career in a competitive market.

'Struggle to compete'

It's more difficult to get extra hours. I asked my manager a couple of months ago and she said I am just too expensive. If someone who is on lower pay wants overtime they might get the odd hour but there's nothing for me Paige Newman, 22 Retail assistant in London

The research suggests that pay for all age groups has failed to keep up with the rising cost of living.

But real weekly pay for under-30s has fallen by 5.5% since 2008 compared with a 3% fall for workers aged 30 and over.

Young workers on low pay often find it harder to compete with older, experienced recruits, making it more difficult to switch to a better paid job.

Those with fewer skills can also be more easily replaced, making it harder to bargain with the boss for a decent pay rise.

"Another way of looking at the picture is that young workers are at the back of the queue for jobs and when they get to the front they find most of the good jobs have already been snapped up," said Jim Hillage at the IES.