MASSIMILIANO MASCHERINI, research manager in European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound) presented “NEETs: an European Picture of the NEET phenomenon”.

1. Not in Employment, Education and
Training
An European Picture of the NEET phenomenon.
Massimiliano Mascherini
EUROFOUND
European Foundation for the Improvement
of Living and Working Conditions
mam@eurofound.europa.eu @MascheriniM

3. • At the European level, NEETs are defined as all the unemployed
and inactive persons (according to ILO definition) who,
regardless their educational level, are currently not in any
education and training.
• The acronym NEETs first emerged in the UK in the late 1980s
• This is the definition agreed by the Employment Committee
(EMCO) and its indicators group.
INDIC/02/260110/EN - INDIC/11/210410/EN - EMCO/31/190510/EN
(unemployed and inactive not in educ. and training)
(all young people population)
NEET rate =

4. NEETs are an heterogeneous population.
Conventionally
Unemployed
Unavailable Disengaged Voluntary NEETs and
Opportunity seekers
• They do not accumulate human capital through formal channels
• Bring special populations at the centre of the policy debate
• Must be disaggregated when using the concept for policymaking

5. How many NEETs in Europe?
NEETrateinEurope,2012–Source:Eurostat
7.8 million NEETs 15-24
6.8 million NEETs 25-29
2007-2012
• Almost doubled in
GR,ES,IE.
• Increased sharply also
in DK, NL
• Baltic Reps: sharp
increase and now
decrease

6. Potential risk factors of ending up NEETs
• Low educational level (+300%)
• Living in remote areas (+150%)
• Immigration background (+70%)
• Suffering disabilities (+40%)
• Parents with low educ. level (+200%)
• Divorced parent (+40%)
• Parents experienced unempl. (+17%)
• Low household income (+100%)

7. Spending a protracted period outside labour market and
education may lead to a wide range of negative social
conditions:
These outcomes each have a cost attached to them and therefore
being NEET is not just a problem for the individual but also for
societies and economies as a whole.
• Isolation • Disaffection
• Political Marginalization and Extremisms • Asocial lifestyle
• Risk of health problems

8. 119 BN
2008
139 BN
147 BN
153 BN
162 BN
2009 2010 2011 2012
BillionEuro
Taking into account the foregone earnings and the additional
expenditure for the welfare systems, EUROFOUND estimated
the economic loss of having 14 million of NEETs.

9. How to fight youth unemployment and to re-
integrate NEETs into labour market and education?

10. Discouraged
youth
Lack of
education
Lack of
experience
Frictional
unemployment
Different people – different needs
Unavailable
• Policies have to take into account the diversity of youth population

11. Discouraged
youth
Lack of
education
Lack of
experience
Frictional
unemployment
Different people – different needs
Unavailable
• Policies have to take into account the diversity of youth population
Good job seeking
infrastructure
Practical possibilities to complete their
education
Subsidised employment Guidance and motivation
Vocational trainingTraineeships
Removing barriers

12. • In some period the time of intervention is crucial!
Preventing Early
School Leavers
Diagnostic policies
Alternative schooling environments
General and careers counselling and support
Increasing compulsory age
Supporting School to
Work transition
Advice and Guidance
Apprenticeships
Traineeships
Internships

13. Steps Forward
• Many Member States need a new approach to the problem: Mismatches
need to be fought and more preventative approaches need to be taken!
• It is simply the time to act now!
• Member States should learn from each other and adapt good practices to
their national context when thinking about the transferability of these
policies.
mam@eurofound.europa.eu @MascheriniM
• Youth unemployment : an endless bleeding of talents that governments fail
in re-integrate into the labour market.

14. THANKS!
mam@eurofound.europa.eu @MascheriniM