Who the Pandemic Graduates Are & What They Want : A quantitative case study analyzing university students’ work preferences and outlook after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to major transformations in education, workplaces, and work-life balance. Though most restrictions have been lifted in Sweden, some processes will likely remain online. This master thesis research collected quantitative data from a sample of university students at Halmstad University regarding the effects the pandemic had on their lives and their personal work preferences. Despite the pandemic leading to major changes both personally and professionally, the results of the study conclude that the pandemic primarily had both good and bad effects on education and did not have a major effect on university students’ outlook on their future in the labor market. Regarding preferences, this study found that there is no consensus. Several of the results are likely the effect of the culture and policies of the Nordic welfare states, which shape and surround this sample. This research contributes to the field of health and lifestyle as it identifies and analyzes potential factors which have strengthened and weakened the sample in focus.