Youth unemployment and social exclusion in Europe. A comparative study

Book abstract:

Unemployment rates for young people throughout Europe are higher than those experienced in the general population. The impact of that experience at the beginning of the employment cycle presents potential for social exclusion and all the antisocial characteristics contingent upon such exclusion.

This work, using a common data base throughout ten countries in Europe, examines the position of unemployed youth and their prospects for social exclusion. There are twelve chapters covering such important issues as integration into the labour market, scheme participation and the effect of temporary employment, economic hardship and depravation, mental health among young unemployed and the extent to which the unemployed youth become politically active. The main conclusion is that even in the poorest of the countries surveyed youth unemployment does not lead to widespread social exclusion.

The work will interest students, academics, policy researchers and politicians engaged in labour market and social science studies.

Torild Hammer is the co-ordinator of the EU-funded research project on which the book is based. She is a Senior Research Fellow at Norwegian Social Research (NOVA), Norway.