While the worst health effects of coronavirus are suffered by the elderly, the brunt of economic pain inflicts the young.

Young workers are more likely to lose work, have the least financial resources to lean on and are least competitive job-searchers once the crisis abates. They will also shoulder the debt burden from the fiscal wreckage for much of their working lives.

During ordinary cyclical downturns, young people disproportionately suffer job losses — with less experience and fewer protections than more mature workers.

And in this abnormal coronacrisis shutdown it’s even worse, since the industries most heavily impacted — hospitality, retail, arts and...