Youth Unemployment and Social Exclusion in Germany

Abstract

The problem of youth unemployment in Germany, in the 90s and especially recently, has become more and more politically explosive and therefore has been given increasing attention. Young adults are more and more frequently affected by unemployment, even when considering the relatively favourable and diverse opportunities they have to receive additional qualifications and training schemes. In Germany, the term ‘youth unemployment’ defines the “unemployment of young persons which occurs in connection with the transitory phase after school and before entering the labour market” (Wolfinger, 1997, p. 150). According to the Social Legislation Code (see Nipperdey, 1998), young persons are considered unemployed when they: only have short-term or minor part-time jobs (less than 15 hours) are looking for work and are willing to take every reasonable work (including part-time employment) have registered at the employment office comply with their trimonthly duty to register.