Youth unemployment and social exclusion in Europe

Abstract

Unemployed youth are at risk of exclusion and marginalisation from society. This book examines various influences on young, unemployed individuals who may be at risk of social exclusion. In particular it examines the role of welfare and labour market policies. Data is drawn from a comparative study of youth unemployment and social exclusion (YUSE) in Europe. Nearly 17, 000 unemployed youth from 10 European countries were surveyed. Each chapter in the book analyses a different aspect of the comparative study. Different dimensions of exclusion or inclusion are considered including: employment; family situation; living conditions; social network; politics and society; and education. The main finding of the study was that few unemployed youth are socially marginalised, even in the participating countries with higher unemployment rates. Chapters in this publication include: Introduction / Torild Hammer; Method and research design / Jan Carle and Torild Hammer; Unemployment, integration and marginalisation: a comparative perspective on 18- to-24-year olds in Finland, Sweden, Scotland and Spain / Andy Furlong and Fred Cartmel; Processes of marginalisation at work: integration of young people in the labour market through temporary employment / Ivan Harslof; Recurrence of youth unemployment: a longitudinal comparative approach / Isabelle Recotillet and Patrick Werquin; Scheme participation and employment outcome of young unemployed people: empirical findings from nine European countries / Hans Dietrich; Youth participation in the labour market in Germany, Spain and Sweden / Floro Ernesto Caroleo and Francesco Pastore; Surviving unemployment a question of money or families? / Torild Hammer and Ilse Julkunen; Buffers and predictors of mental health problems among unemployed young women in countries with different breadwinner models / Ilse Julkunen and Ira Malmberg-Heimonen; Economic hardship, employment status and psychological wellbeing of young people in Europe / Jose Luis Alvaro and Alicia Garrido; Welfare regimes and political activity among unemployed young people / Jan Carle; Concluding remarks / Torild Hammer.