Erwerbseintritt in Europa

Abstract

The transition from school to work is an important step in a young person's life, carrying significant ramifications for one's ensuing career. This transition has witnessed substantial changes in the past decade, now taking place substantially later in life in all European countries. This article aims at describing cross-national differences in the process of entry to work in Europe, differences which are still noticeable despite existing commonalities. High unemployment rates in some countries reflect problems young people experience when entering working life. The differences in youth unemployment chances that exist across Europe can be traced back to specific institutional structures in these countries. Among these, the system of education plays a central role, as it determines the qualification structure, the level of education and the age at leaving school. After a wide descriptive overview of educational structures across Europe we focus on three countries: (western) Germany, Italy and Great Britain. A detailed analysis of the early careers of recent school leavers points to the existence of distinct national patterns of employment entry. Empirical analyses draw on the European Labour Force Surveys and national panel data sets.