About: youth unemployment

Spain presents plan to tackle soaring youth joblessness

Spain has set curbing soaring youth unemployment, which is among the highest in the European Union, as one of its main priorities for the coming years, EURACTIV’s partner EFE reported.

Special Edition: EU youth speaks up ahead of post-pandemic jungle

EURACTIV spoke to a number of young people in several EU countries who suggested ideas to avoid a post-pandemic youth crisis.

European recovery sidelines the young generation

Despite being the most affected group by the coronavirus-induced crisis, young Europeans feel increasingly left out from plans for post-pandemic recovery. Experts call for targeted measures to support them and ensure a quick implementation of the EU’s Youth Guarantee at the national level.

EESC President: Crisis is widening gap between school and real life for youth

Europe needs to "get the economy up and running" to help its youth find opportunities and bridge the gap between school and the workplace, the President of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) Christa Schweng told EURACTIV in an interview.

Porto EU social summit expected to focus on youth

The European Commission wants to promote a "strong social dimension" at the May summit in Porto, as part of the Portuguese EU Council presidency, advocating a focus on young people who are facing a "difficult period" due to the COVID-19 crisis​​​​​​​.

Sinkevicius: ‘There can be no return to business as usual’ after the pandemic

There can be no return to business as usual after the pandemic and no amount of economic pressure should force us to compromise on people’s health and the health of our planet, Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius said in an interview.

Don’t let Europe’s youth become a new lost generation, youth organisations urge

As Europe's economy is shrinking due to the COVID-19 pandemic, youth unemployment has been on the rise. If policymakers do not use the current crisis to invest in young people and create a more just and sustainable society, Europe's youth will become a new lost generation, Carina Autengruber told EURACTIV.

More cooperation, greater inclusion key to preventing a ‘lockdown generation’

Already precarious in many regions of Europe, youth unemployment has spiked dramatically with the onset of COVID-19, sparking fears of another lost generation. At a recent StartNet Conference, policymakers, practitioners, and other stakeholders called for greater cooperation on facilitating young people’s transition to work.

Commissioner Schmit: EU must stop rise of low-quality jobs in wake of pandemic

While impacting all parts of the economy, COVID-19 has hit young people particularly hard. Nicolas Schmit, the Commissioner for jobs and social rights, spoke with EURACTIV about the EU executive's efforts to address these challenges and avert the prospect of another 'lost generation.'

National recovery plan, taxes, subsidised contracts… Macron’s three economic priorities

In a Bastille Day interview with French media on Tuesday (14 July), President Emmanuel Macron detailed his economic orientation for the final two years of his five-year term. EURACTIV's media partner Ouest-France reports.

One in six young people has stopped working since the pandemic started

Some 17.1% of employed young people across the globe have stopped working since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and those who have remained in work have seen their working hours reduced by 23%, according to a report from the International Labour Organization (ILO), published on Wednesday (27 May).

Helping disengaged young people in times of pandemic

A European-wide project was supporting young disengaged when the COVID-19 outbreak started. EURACTIV has spoken to the organizers about how they adapted to challenging circumstances. 

‘NEETs’: A youth group at high risk of poverty and exclusion

Education and skills gaps are not only a challenge for businesses seeking to recruit, they also make poverty and social exclusion more likely among young people who are excluded from labour and education at the same time. 

European Youth Guarantee needs to address labour market changes, experts warn

As the new European Commission vows to reform the European Youth Guarantee to tackle youth unemployment in the EU, EURACTIV looked at how the future initiative should look like according to the experts. 

French people convinced by EU but poorly motivated to vote

Support for the EU is at its highest level for 26 years. However, this enthusiasm is not reflected in the projections for turnout at the next European elections. EURACTIV France reports.

Rising inequality calls for a new social contract

The gap between rich and poor in Europe has increased compared to thirty years ago, affecting young cohorts in particular. Yet the social protection systems currently in place across European countries were designed during the past century and are no longer fit for the present, argues Cyril Muller.

Juncker’s dismal speech

At a time when Europe needs something to inspire the 2018 State of the Union speech disappointed, writes Dick Roche.

Simplon – coding as a tool for social inclusion

The company Simplon trains free of charge long-term job seekers and employees in retraining to become web developers, a project currently supported by different categories of European funds. EURACTIV.fr reports.

Macron praised as French economy powers ahead

The good news keeps coming for the French economy: data published yesterday (15 February) showed unemployment at its lowest level since 2009 while the head of the IMF praised recent reforms by President Emmanuel Macron.

How to save the generation Europe left behind

To establish a new Europe that moves forward, it is important that Europe seizes technological innovation to ensure young Europeans are not left behind, writes Andrianos Giannou.

Dual vocational education and training in Germany – a blue print for Europe?

To tackle the continuously high youth unemployment in Europe, the EU has introduced a range of initiatives and so-called “guarantees”. A long term strategy could contain the adaptation of a dual education system in other EU member states, which has hold up well in Germany so far. EURACTIV Germany reports.

What if the youth could change Europe’s economic reality?

We need a reality check. Some in Europe may be celebrating the slow but steady rise in employment rates and economic growth. But young people have very little to celebrate, writes Luis Alvarado Martinez.