Just a phase? Youth unemployment in the Republic of Ireland

Abstract

Ireland has experienced an unprecedented level of economic growth since the mid-1990s. The present article assesses the extent to which this phenomenon has altered the level and nature of youth unemployment, using data from six waves of a nationally representative survey of school-leavers. The main impact of the ‘Celtic Tiger’ has been to smooth the transition from school to paid employment, significantly reducing the proportion of young people unemployed. The profile of the unemployed has changed markedly. Social class and examination grades have become less important predictors while parental employment and having upper-secondary qualifications have become more significant in shaping employment chances. In particular, the qualifications gap has continued to widen in the post-boom period, with employment growth not sufficient to counter the marginalisation of less qualified young people within the labour market. It is argued that the exploration of youth unemployment in the Irish context provides more general insights into the dynamics of youth transitions.