<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>This paper’s main aim is to observe and confirm youth unemployment as a structural phenomenon in certain EU countries, including Slovenia. An innovative contribution is that it complements the prevailing economistic discourse with a sociological one. In the introduction, a brief history and overview of youth unemployment is presented. Slovenia is only briefly mentioned as having one of the relatively longest-lasting youth unemployment rates in the EU. In <xref ref-type="sec" rid="j_rsc-2020-0010_s_002_w2aab3b7b3b1b6b1ab1b1Aa">sections 2</xref> and <xref ref-type="sec" rid="j_rsc-2020-0010_s_003_w2aab3b7b3b1b6b1ab1b2Aa">3</xref>, approaches from economics and sociology are relied on while discussing three ‘types’ of EU countries with regard to different structural unemployment rates. From a sociological view, the longterm nature of youth unemployment is described, together with its impact on the social structure and (possible) socially destructive and economically destabilizing consequences. In <xref ref-type="sec" rid="j_rsc-2020-0010_s_004_w2aab3b7b3b1b6b1ab1b3Aa">section 4</xref>, analysis of “every-day life” indicators, namely, young people’s perceptions of work and life, reveals some surprising facts that depart from previous findings. In short: young people are more satisfied with their work and lives than older generations.</p></abstract>

This paper’s main aim is to observe and confirm youth unemployment as a structural phenomenon in certain EU countries, including Slovenia. An innovative contribution is that it complements the prevailing economistic discourse with a sociological one. In the introduction, a brief history and overview of youth unemployment is presented. Slovenia is only briefly mentioned as having one of the relatively longest-lasting youth unemployment rates in the EU. In sections 2 and 3, approaches from economics and sociology are relied on while discussing three ‘types’ of EU countries with regard to different structural unemployment rates. From a sociological view, the longterm nature of youth unemployment is described, together with its impact on the social structure and (possible) socially destructive and economically destabilizing consequences. In section 4, analysis of “every-day life” indicators, namely, young people’s perceptions of work and life, reveals some surprising facts that depart from previous findings. In short: young people are more satisfied with their work and lives than older generations.

Is youth unemployment in EU countries structural?

Research in Social Change

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

{"article-title":"Is youth unemployment in EU countries structural?"}

This paper’s main aim is to observe and confirm youth unemployment as a structural phenomenon in certain EU countries, including Slovenia. An innovative...

Is youth unemployment in EU countries structural?

Published Online: Jul 21, 2021

Page range: 80 - 105

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/rsc-2020-0010

© 2020 Darka Podmenik, Maruša Gorišek, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.