(12 February 2020) – The financial crisis of the previous decade was particularly hard on young people. However, as the latest data shows, 15% of young Europeans are neither at work nor studying (NEETs), which means this remains a structural issue.
According to OCDE, almost one in ten jobs held by young people have been destroyed since the downturn started and youth employment rates have only been recovering slowly. While the NEETs problem was exacerbated by the crisis, data shows it remains a structural problem.
In 2018, the rate of NEETs —young Europeans not in Education, Employment, or Training between 20 to 34 years old— in the EU was 16.5% on average, although the level is similar to the pre-crisis period, the turbulence in the global economy might not help.
Italy (28.9%), Greece (26.8%), Bulgaria (20.9%), Romania (20.6%) and Slovakia (20%) are the member states with the most worrying situation. While Sweden (8%), the Netherlands (8.4 %), Luxembourg (9.9%), Malta (10.1%) and Austria (10.6%) are the countries with a lower rate of young inactive people. (EurActiv)