Abstract
ABSTRACT Comparative research on youth employment has mostly focused on differences between countries or regimes of youth transitions. The territorial differentiation below country level has been less explored, notwithstanding the potential impact on youth-life chances and the territorial cohesion of the European Union. This paper aims at deepening into the investigation of regional variations in patterns of youth labour market chances. To do this, we build on a composite indicator measuring regional youth labour market integration (YLMI) as a comprehensive measure of contextual fragilities (or strengths) of regional youth labour markets. We provide both comparative and longitudinal views over 15 years (2004–18). Furthermore, we explore the impact of contextual factors related to economic conditions, labour market and demographic trends on the regional patterns of youth integration in the labour market.
Highlights
School-to-work transitions have a strong impact on the subsequent working career and life chances of young people
Looking at the macro-determinants on YLMI values, we find that regional economic conditions had a strong effect on youth labour market integration over the past decade, supporting previous evidence on the determinants of youth unemployment at national level (De Lange et al, 2014)
In this paper we investigated patterns and contextual determinants of regional variations in youth labour market chances
Summary
School-to-work transitions have a strong impact on the subsequent working career and life chances of young people. Lack of labour market accessibility worsens youth opportunities and might fuel political discontent (Scandurra et al, 2020), representing a crucial challenge both for European Union (EU) territorial cohesion and political sustainability. This is especially relevant in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, since economic downturns tend to disproportionately affect young people (Pastore, 2015), as confirmed by research on youth employment in the aftermath of the Great Recession of 2008 (O’Higgins, 2010). This might impinge on the effectiveness of European-wide place-neutral policies, which may be ineffective in addressing problems of territorially uneven youth labour market integration
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
