Young people and 'NEETs'
Tue, 29/01/2013
The youth unemployment rate has spiraled in Europe since the onset of the financial crisis. The current rate of youth unemployment in Europe is over 23%. Unemployment when young not only hinders personal development and lowers life chances, exposing youth to poverty and social exclusion, but also prevents young Europeans from contributing to the overall development of their local community, their country and Europe as a whole. The high level of youth unemployment is not only damaging for the quality of life of young people, it also has severe economic and social consequences. The current cost of youth unemployment, in terms of lost tax contributions and social welfare payouts, is over €153 billion in the EU.
The term NEET is used to describe young people between 15 and 29 years who are not engaged in any form of employment, education or training. The term has come into the policy debate in recent years due to disproportionate impact of the recession on young people. The unemployment rate for those under thirty is nearly double the average rate. In 2012, 15.4% of the population between 15-29 years in Europe was NEET, about 14 million young people.
In October 2012, Eurofound published a report on NEETs: Young people not in employment, education of training. In this study, which is the only of its kind in Europe, the current situation of young people in Europe has been investigated, focusing specifically on the NEET group to understand the economic and social consequences of their disengagement from the labour market and education. Member State initiatives to help reintegrate young people into the labour market are also investigated.
The full report as well as the executive summary can be found in the incluD-ed resources: http://includ-ed.eu/resource/neets-young-people-not-employment-education-or-training-characteristics-costs-and-policy-re.
The study results underline the heterogeneity of the NEETs population that includes conventionally unemployed young people, to vulnerable subgroups including the sick and disabled and young careers. This heterogeneity has to be addressed when designing policies to integrate NEETs into the labour market or education programs.
Risk factors of becoming NEET are diverse: from low educational levels to immigration background. Young people having a disability or health issue have a 40% higher risk than nationals in good health to be NEET.
The consequences of being NEET are severe for the person, society as well as the economy. Being NEET may lead to a wide range of social disadvantages and mental and physical health problems. Furthermore, NEETs risk being politically and socially alienated since social participation generally decreases with more than spend as a NEET.
The policies that have been implemented by Member States address various stages along the pathway to employment and are extremely diverse in their aims, objectives and activities. Good practices in policy design and implementation include measures that are diversified “tackling different issues along the pathway to employment”. The report points out that it is important to pay special attention to the different vulnerable groups taking their needs into account and addressing as well as eliminating personal barriers. Furthermore, the importance of sustainable long-term solutions and the need for quality jobs were underlined. To achieve this, NEETs have to be equipped with the qualifications needed. The learning process on the way to employment should be tailored to the personal needs and foster their employability. Policies and measures designed to tackle youth unemployment therefore need the involvement of different stakeholders.
