Mapping Young NEETs Across Europe

This paper explores how different subgroups of young people not in employment, education or training (NEETs) are conditioned by institutional configurations across 26 European countries. This research identifies: 

• High levels of NEETs with care responsibilities in countries with few family-related services and weak formalised long-term care as in many Central Eastern European countries. 

• High rates of NEETs with a disability in Northern European countries where generous disability benefit schemes exist. 

• High numbers of unemployed and discouraged NEETs in countries hit hardest by the crisis, with high labour market rigidities, low vocational specificity, and a lack of active labour market policies as found in Southern and some Central Eastern European countries. 

The results demonstrate that young people face different barriers across the EU and that country-specific actions are needed to address the issue of NEETs. 

Research paper by Assmann, ML. and S., Broschinski, Journal of Applied Youth Studies, 4 (2021).