Five Characteristics of Youth Unemployment in Europe

Abstract

Current levels of youth unemployment need to be understood in the context of increased labor market flexibility, an expansion of higher education, youth migration, and family legacies of long-term unemployment. Compared with previous recessions, European-wide policies and investments have significantly increased with attempts to support national policies. By mapping these developments and debates, we illustrate the different factors shaping the future of European labor markets. We argue that understanding youth unemployment requires a holistic approach that combines an analysis of changes in the economic sphere around labor market flexibility, skills attainment, and employer demand, as well as understanding the impact of family legacies affecting increasingly polarized trajectories for young people today. The success of EU policy initiatives and investments will be shaped by the ability of national actors to implement these effectively.

Perceived economic self-sufficiency: a country- and generation-comparative approach

“…Many of the risks and hurdles young people must navigate along their journey to adulthood were simply not present, or at least not to the same degree, when their parents and grandparents were their age (O'Reilly et al 2015).…”

“…Traditionally, in the European Union (EU), youth unemployment has mostly been a more acute issue in the Southern European countries, but the 2008 financial crisis and the subsequent sovereign debt crises have exacerbated the situation across Europe (see Lahusen et al 2013;O'Reilly et al 2015;Tosun et al 2014Tosun et al , 2016Tosun et al , 2017Tosun 2017). Spells of unemployment early in life are likely to leave scars, which can also affect later employment prospects (Dvouletý et al 2018).…”

El diseño y despliegue del sistema de garantía juvenil en España. Un análisis documental

“…También se ha destacado el éxito obtenido en aquellas medidas en que su aplicación se hace a medida de las necesidades de cada joven (tailored support), tanto en relación con sus características sociodemográficas como en relación con sus circunstancias personales (Berlingieri et al, 2014;Kluve et al, 2016), así como de los programas dirigidos específicamente (targeted) a los jóvenes desfavorecidos y de bajos ingresos (Kluve et al, 2016). Parecería, pues, que una política "contextualizada" y adaptada a las características de la población receptora tiene más probabilidades de ser efectiva que una que pase por alto las circunstancias personales específicas (O'Reilly et al, 2015). Por otro lado, la literatura también destaca el éxito de los programas comprehensivos y de carácter multidimensional, que implican una combinación y articulación flexible de diferentes medidas orientadas a superar la situación de desempleo (Kluve, 2014;Kluve et al, 2016;Martin y Grubb, 2001).…”

The labour market performance of young return migrants after the crisis in CEE countries: the case of Estonia

“…Focusing the research on young returnees is motivated by the recent enlargement of the scope of labour market issues faced by youth in Europe. Those include high unemployment rates, specific characteristics of labour market transitions experienced by young people, in particular labour market mobility both within and between economies (for an overview of the recent issues of youth in European labour markets, see O'Reilly et al, 2015). Recent economic shocks enforced a higher magnitude of labour market issues among youth, and young migrants were exposed to the effect of economic slowdown to a greater extent (Kahanec & Fabo, 2013).…”