Conceiving of and politically responding to NEETs in Europe

The article discusses the concept of young people not in education, employment, or training (NEET) in Europe, focusing on how they are defined, the factors that contribute to being NEET, and policy responses to address this policy issue. The literature reveals that there is no unanimous definition of NEET, and individual-level factors such as education, family background, and health, as well as contextual factors like labour market conditions and welfare regimes, influence the likelihood of being NEET. The article also analyses policy responses, including the European Youth Guarantee, and highlights the need for tailored policies to address the diverse needs of NEETs. The authors conclude that policymakers should adopt a holistic approach, considering both individual and contextual factors, to reduce the number of young people who fall into the NEET category.

Written by Claudia Petrescu, Bogdan Voicu, Christin Heinz-Fischer, Jale Tosun