“NEETs: an European Picture of the NEET phenomenon”

Not in Employment, Education and Training

An European Picture of the NEET phenomenon.

Massimiliano Mascherini

EUROFOUNDEuropean Foundation for the Improvement

of Living and Working Conditions

[email protected] @MascheriniM

• At the European level, NEETs are defined as all the unemployed and inactive persons (according to ILO definition) who, regardless their educational level, are currently not in any education and training.

• The acronym NEETs first emerged in the UK in the late 1980s

• This is the definition agreed by the Employment Committee (EMCO) and its indicators group.

INDIC/02/260110/EN - INDIC/11/210410/EN - EMCO/31/190510/EN

(unemployed and inactive not in educ. and training)

(all young people population)NEET rate =

NEETs are an heterogeneous population.

Conventionally Unemployed

Unavailable Disengaged Voluntary NEETs and Opportunity seekers

• They do not accumulate human capital through formal channels

• Bring special populations at the centre of the policy debate

• Must be disaggregated when using the concept for policymaking

How many NEETs in Europe?

NEE

T ra

te in

Eur

ope,

201

2 –

Sour

ce: E

uros

tat

7.8 million NEETs 15-246.8 million NEETs 25-29

2007-2012• Almost doubled in

GR,ES,IE.• Increased sharply also

in DK, NL• Baltic Reps: sharp

increase and now decrease

Potential risk factors of ending up NEETs

• Low educational level (+300%)

• Living in remote areas (+150%)

• Immigration background (+70%)

• Suffering disabilities (+40%)

• Parents with low educ. level (+200%)

• Divorced parent (+40%)

• Parents experienced unempl. (+17%)

• Low household income (+100%)

Spending a protracted period outside labour market and education may lead to a wide range of negative social conditions:

These outcomes each have a cost attached to them and therefore being NEET is not just a problem for the individual but also for societies and economies as a whole.

• Isolation • Disaffection

• Political Marginalization and Extremisms • Asocial lifestyle

• Risk of health problems

119 BN

2008

139 BN

147 BN153 BN

162 BN

2009 2010 2011 2012

Billi

on E

uro

Taking into account the foregone earnings and the additional expenditure for the welfare systems, EUROFOUND estimated the economic loss of having 14 million of NEETs.

How to fight youth unemployment and to re-integrate NEETs into labour market and education?

Discouraged youth

Lack of education

Lack of experience

Frictional unemployment

Different people – different needs

Unavailable

• Policies have to take into account the diversity of youth population

Discouraged youth

Lack of education

Lack of experience

Frictional unemployment

Different people – different needs

Unavailable

• Policies have to take into account the diversity of youth population

Good job seeking infrastructure

Practical possibilities to complete their education

Subsidised employment Guidance and motivation

Vocational trainingTraineeships

Removing barriers

• In some period the time of intervention is crucial!

Preventing Early School Leavers

Diagnostic policies

Alternative schooling environments

General and careers counselling and support

Increasing compulsory age

Supporting School to Work transition

Advice and Guidance

Apprenticeships

Traineeships

Internships

Steps Forward

• Many Member States need a new approach to the problem: Mismatches need to be fought and more preventative approaches need to be taken!

• It is simply the time to act now!

• Member States should learn from each other and adapt good practices to their national context when thinking about the transferability of these policies.


• Youth unemployment : an endless bleeding of talents that governments fail in re-integrate into the labour market.

THANKS!


“NEETs: an European Picture of the NEET phenomenon”

Education

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