Recent Trends in Youth Labor Markets and Youth Employment Policy in Europe and Central Asia

Abstract

The transition from school to work and the problems associated with it have recently hit centre stage in discussions of employment policy at National and International contexts. Recently coordinated efforts also at the international level have begun to make themselves felt. In particular, the Youth Employment Network (YEN) was established in July 2001. Under the lead of the ILO and with the involvement of United Nations Agencies and the World Bank as well as National Youth Organizations, the YEN has provides a focus for the work of international and national agencies on problems related to youth employment and unemployment. At the European level, since its inception in 1997, the European Employment Strategy has emphasized the special importance of integrating young people into the world of work. With the transition to the market economy and the concomitant industrial restructuring and recessions in Central & Eastern Europe and Central Asia (CEECA), issues related to the integration of new labor market entrants into Decent Work have become of crucial importance in that part of the region too. This paper looks at the overall situation on, and trends in, the youth labor market in the Europe & Central Asia region, concentrating on the transition countries. It also considers the state of policies aimed at integrating young people into Decent Work in the region.