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Emmanouil, Effie, Georgios Chatzichristos, Andrew Herod & Stelios Gialis (2023): In what way a 'Guarantee for youth'? NEETs entrapped by labour market policies in the European Union. In: Journal of Youth Studies online erschienen am 16.05.2023, S. 1-20. DOI:10.1080/13676261.2023.2211943

Abstract

"Following the economic crisis of 2008/2009, the European Union developed the Youth Guarantee (YG) Action Plan to tackle youth labour market disengagement by ‘fostering employability’ and ‘removing barriers’ to employment. The current study adopts a Geographical Political Economy approach to analysing the YG's underpinnings and the conditions that differentiate its application on a regional level to explore whether – and, if so, how – the YG helps young people in the Southern EU to enter the labour market. The article introduces the first comparative, cross-regional investigation of the YG programme, targeting the NUTS-II regions of Spain and Italy. It uses mixed methods, supplementing quantitative analysis with in-depth interviews with key informants. We show that in Spanish and Italian regions the YG is closely entwined with socio-spatial inequality and labour precarity, which is reflected in the growing rates of temporary employment and inactive youth. Crucially, we conclude, such outcomes are not simply the result of the institutional/operational misapplications of the YG, as is often assumed. Rather, these misapplications are systematically reinforced by the mechanics of labour flexibilisation within a recessionary and crisis-prone environment, one whose geographical unevenness means that the YG is playing out in quite different ways in different places." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Malo, Miguel A., Chiara Mussida, Begona Cueto & Maurizio Baussola (2023): Being a NEET before and after the Great Recession: persistence by gender in Southern Europe. In: Socio-economic review, Jg. 21, H. 1, S. 319-339. DOI:10.1093/ser/mwab043

Abstract

"This article adds to the scant literature on the time persistence of being a young Not in Employment, Education or Training (NEET) by including four main novelties: we distinguish short- and long-term persistence; we use estimations before (2004–2007) and after the Great Recession (2013–2016); we analyse four Southern European countries that are relatively similar and were significantly affected by the Great Recession (Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain); and all analyses are disaggregated by gender. The descriptive analysis shows a convergence in NEET rates by gender in the four countries due to a worsening of the male NEET rate and no improvement among young females. The econometric estimations show that long-term persistence is smaller than short-term persistence and that the latter increased after the Great Recession, especially for male NEETs. Policy implications for the design of the Youth Guarantee and lessons from the coronavirus pandemic are also discussed." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Odoardi, Iacopo, Dario D'Ingiullo & Davide Quaglione (2023): Gender disparities between young and adult NEETs: do we need a more refined policy approach? In: Applied Economics, Jg. 55, H. 56, S. 6685-6699. DOI:10.1080/00036846.2022.2161991

Abstract

"Italy has the highest rate of individuals Not in Employment, Education or Training (NEET) in Europe, and its NEET has the highest gender bias in Western Europe. A marked heterogeneity, however, accompanies the age sub-groups, and women’s conditions become systematically worse with advancing age. Using data from 2019, we investigate the association between the probability of being NEET and a set of individual and regional (socioeconomic and institutional) characteristics, examining whether and to what extent the role of these determinants varies depending on gender within two distinct age groups: young (15?24) and adult (25?34) NEETs. In general, we find clear evidence that women are at a relative disadvantage compared to men and, as age increases, both positive and negative determinants show relations that tend to weaken for men and to worsen for women. The results of our analyses also suggest that social/family obligations affect men and women differently, to the detriment of women, and that this disparity widens with age. The contrast between the position of men and women within marriage is empirically confirmed and perfectly captured by marginal effects with opposite signs. The policy implications of our analysis are discussed in the concluding section of this paper." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Avagianou, Athina, Nikos Kapitsinis, Ioannis Papageorgiou, Anne Hege Strand & Stelios Gialis (2022): Being NEET in Youthspaces of the EU South: A Post-recession Regional Perspective. In: Young. Nordic Journal of Youth Research, Jg. 30, H. 5, S. 425-454. DOI:10.1177/11033088221086365

Abstract

"Youth unemployment and precarity have been expanding in the aftermath of the recent global recession. This article offers a theoretically informed empirical examination of the spatio-temporally uneven expansion of young people “Not in Employment, Education or Training” (NEETs) between 2008 and 2018 in the European Union (EU) South, namely in Italy, Spain, Greece and Cyprus. This article contributes to the growing literature on youth inactivity and marginalization, by focusing on the spatial, rather than just the temporal dimension of youth which marks most relevant studies. The analysis engages with the concept of “youthspaces” to critically analyse the economic, social and political spatialities that determine the dynamic relationship between youth and the labour market, and discuss the persistently high NEET rate in the EU South. Employing a mixed-methods approach, we highlight that gender, class, education and economic growth are key socio-spatial factors that determine the geographically uneven expansion of NEETs across the study regions." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Fiaschi, Davide & Cristina Tealdi (2022): Young People between Education and the Labour Market during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Italy. In: International Journal of Manpower, Jg. 43, H. 7, S. 1719-1757. DOI:10.1108/IJM-06-2021-0352

Abstract

"Purpose: The aim is to study the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the careers of different groups of young individuals, based on transition probabilities. Design/methodology/approach: The authors analyse the evolution of individual shares and flows between different types of employment (self-employment, temporary, and permanent), unemployment, education, and other types of inactivity of individuals aged 20–29 in Italy. Findings: The authors find that the pandemic worsened an already concerning situation of higher inactivity rates, compared to other EU countries. In quarters III and IV of 2020, mainly females and non-Italian citizens were less in (permanent and temporary) employment and more in the NLFET (neither in the labour force nor in education or training) state compared to the same quarters one year before. The authors also find evidence of a temporary but not persistent return to education among 20–24 years old individuals, particularly females. These changes are suggestive of a prolongation of the time needed to achieve temporary and permanent employment, mostly for females and non-Italian citizens. Originality/value: The contribution lies in the provision of a rigorous estimation and analysis of the impact of COVID-19 on the careers of young individuals in Italy." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Emerald Group) ((en))

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Filomena, Mattia, Isabella Giorgetti & Matteo Picchio (2022): Off to a Bad Start: Youth Nonemployment and Labor Market Outcomes Later in Life. (IZA discussion paper 15366), Bonn, 65 S.

Abstract

"We estimate the effect of nonemployment experienced by Italian youth after leaving secondary school on subsequent labor market outcomes. We focus on the impact on earnings and labor market participation both in the short- and in the long-term, up to 25 years since school completion. By estimating a factor analytic model which controls for time-varying unobserved heterogeneity, we find that the negative effect of nonemployment on earnings is especially persistent, being sizeable and statistically significant up to 25 years after school completion, for both men and women. Penalties in terms of participation last instead shorter; they disappear by the 10th year after school completion. Hence, early nonemployment operates by persistently locking the youth who get off to a bad start into low-wage jobs." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Aina, Carmen, Irene Brunetti, Chiara Mussida & Sergio Scicchitano (2021): Even more discouraged? The NEET generation at the age of COVID-19. (GLO discussion paper / Global Labor Organization 863), Maastricht, 24 S.

Abstract

"This paper evaluates if and to what extend the risk of becoming Not in Employment, Education or Training (NEET) has worsened during the Covid-19 pandemic in Italy. The analysis is based on a unique dataset from the merging of two sample surveys, the Italian Labor Force Survey and the Institutional Quality Index dataset. We find that the probability of being NEET significantly increased during the pandemic, but heterogeneously between age cohorts and geographical areas. The most affected categories have been young people (aged 25-34) and those living in North-West regions. Females are mostly affected compared to males, especially those experiencing motherhood and living in a Southern province. Investment in education reduces the NEET status, mainly for age-group 25-34 in the South. Participation in the civil society significantly reduces the probability to being NEET. Finally, active policies conducted at regional level are a further educational investment that protect from becoming NEET, although their effectiveness is not significant in the Southern regions. We provide novel evidence to inform policymakers and help building evidence-based policies, tailored on local needs." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Fiaschi, Davide & Cristina Tealdi (2021): Young People between Education and the Labour Market during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Italy. (IZA discussion paper 14479), Bonn, 16 S.

Abstract

"We analyse the distribution and the flows between different types of employment (self-employment, temporary, and permanent), unemployment, education, and other types of inactivity, with particular focus on the duration of the school-to-work transition (STWT). The aim is to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy on the careers of individuals aged 15-34. We find that the pandemic worsened an already concerning situation of higher unemployment and inactivity rates and significantly longer STWT duration compared to other EU countries, particularly for females and residents in the South of Italy. In the midst of the pandemic, individuals aged 20-29 were less in (permanent and temporary) employment and more in the NLFET (Neither in the Labour Force nor in Education or Training) state, particularly females and non Italian citizens. We also provide evidence of an increased propensity to return to schooling, but most importantly of a substantial prolongation of the STWT duration towards permanent employment, mostly for males and non Italian citizens. Our contribution lies in providing a rigorous estimation and analysis of the impact of COVID-19 on the carriers of young individuals in Italy, which has not yet been explored in the literature." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Ripamonti, Enrico & Stefano Barberis (2021): The association of economic and cultural capital with the NEET rate: differential geographical and temporal patterns. In: Journal for labour market research, Jg. 55. DOI:10.1186/s12651-021-00296-y

Abstract

"Using data from 103 Italian provinces, we investigated the relationship between local/regional development, and NEET. We constructed an indicator of cultural capital and another of economic capital and we studied their relation with the NEET rate. Covariance Structure Analysis with Generalized Least Squares estimation was employed, considering a three time-points retrospective model. Results indicate a consistent protective effect of the economic capital on the NEET rate, both in the short run (2 years) and in the medium run (10 years). However, this effect has been obtained in the Central provinces (at 2 and 10 years) and Southern provinces (at 10 years), but not in the Northern provinces. A mediation analysis indicated that, historically, the cultural capital may partly mediate the effect of the economic capital. We did not detect a significant direct effect of the cultural capital on the NEET rate, which is strongly mediated by the action of the economic capital. Together, these results denote that the economic capital is a strong predictor of NEET, but not in very competitive economic areas." (Author's abstract, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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Bucci, Fiorella & Stijn Vanheule (2020): Investigating changing work and economic cultures through the lens of youth employment : A case study from a psychosocial perspective in Italy. In: Young. Nordic Journal of Youth Research, Jg. 28, H. 3, S. 275-293. DOI:10.1177/1103308819857412

Abstract

"Changes in the forms and cultural meanings of work have gone deep during the last decades, with the transient nature of work becoming the norm rather than the exception. This is impacting particularly on youth employment, as Italy's case epitomizes. Based on interview and focus group data, our study provides a multidimensional model to read and map the multiple tensions young people experience, at an emotional level, on entering today's corporations. Our findings show, on the one hand, that young professionals' expectation of work as a place of social learning and exchange clashes with the corporate focus on assimilating young people into target-oriented environments. On the other hand, both in younger and older workers, we found the experience of labour relationships that struggle to direct themselves towards a creative purpose and a developmental prospect, while tending to collapse emotionally inwards, in a fight for security." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Lewis, Paul & Jason Heyes (2020): The changing face of youth employment in Europe. In: Economic and Industrial Democracy, Jg. 41, H. 2, S. 457-480. DOI:10.1177/0143831X17720017

Abstract

"This article examines trends in youth employment across the EU-15 countries during 2002-2006 and 2007-2011. Drawing upon microdata from the EU Labour Force Survey it examines changes in contract type, hours worked and occupation by level of education. Although the financial crisis creates a discontinuity in numbers employed, and despite certain country specificities, the authors observe common structural changes across the two periods. They find an increasing shift from permanent full-time to temporary part-time contracts, the 'hollowing out' of traditional mid-skill level occupations and evidence of 'occupational filtering down' whereby the higher-educated are substituted for the lower-educated in low-skilled occupations. The authors observe some growth in 'professionals' following the crisis, but little evidence of the rise of a new knowledge economy. This raises questions concerning the most appropriate policy approaches to education and training and labour market regulation if European nations are to provide high-quality employment opportunities for their young people." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Sofritti, Federico, Angelo Benozzo, Neil Carey & Maria Chiara Pizzorno (2020): Working precarious careers trajectories: tracing neoliberal discourses in younger workers' narratives. In: Journal of youth studies, Jg. 23, H. 8, S. 1054-1070. DOI:10.1080/13676261.2019.1654602

Abstract

"The aim of this article is to explore how, in the context of the post Global Financial Crisis (GFC), some Italian younger workers in a specific geographical region in Italy recount their work trajectories. Drawing on narrative interviews with ten participants (aged between 24 and 30) as part of a research project carried out in the Autonomous region of Aosta Valley in Italy, the article traces discourses closely associated with neoliberalism - the discourses of the entrepreneurial self, employability and self-responsibilisation - through which subjects' work experiences take shape. Moreover, the analysis highlights how locality, one's personal relation with the geographical territory, makes more complex the younger people's negotiations in crafting themselves vis-à-vis precarious employment opportunities and wider socio-economic dynamics in respect of precarious employment opportunities." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Binelli, Chiara (2019): Employment and earnings expectations of jobless young skilled. Evidence from Italy. In: Social indicators research, Jg. 145, H. 1, S. 201-231. DOI:10.1007/s11205-019-02106-y

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Contini, Dalit, Marianna Filandri & Lia Pacelli (2019): Persistency in the NEET state: a longitudinal analysis. In: Journal of youth studies, Jg. 22, H. 7, S. 959-980. DOI:10.1080/13676261.2018.1562161

Abstract

"This article addresses the NEET phenomenon in a longitudinal perspective, by examining the case of Italy, a country experiencing one of the highest and increasing NEET shares in the EU. We exploit the longitudinal sample of the 2008-2011 EU-SILC data, providing self-declared information on individuals' educational and occupational status on a monthly basis for 4 years. Firstly, we propose a classification of individual histories in education, employment and the NEET states. According to our estimates, more than 40% of the Italian young people report being NEET for at least 13 months out of 48, and more than 10% for (almost) the entire period. Secondly, we examine the composition of the NEET groups and draw a long-term NEET risk profile for individuals from different sociodemographic groups. Thirdly, we examine the longitudinal histories by distinguishing between unemployment and inactivity spells. Our findings show that the NEET phenomenon among Italian young adults is largely an issue of unemployment. The only exception is represented by Italian older females with children, the majority of which portrays themselves as inactive. Still, a sizable portion of these women define themselves as being mainly 'unemployed' instead of 'performing domestic tasks', indicating an unsatisfied wish or need to work." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Gaspani, Fabio (2019): Young adults NEET and everyday life. Time management and temporal subjectivities. In: Young. Nordic Journal of Youth Research, Jg. 27, H. 1, S. 69-88. DOI:10.1177/1103308818761424

Abstract

"The article investigates the everyday realities of young adults who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) in Italy and focuses on both time management and temporal subjectivities. In reference to the first point, the analysis of individuals' typical days reveals different temporal organization strategies and the activities they consider important to structure their time. As for the study of temporal subjectivities, the article deals with the representations and control on everyday time, which are determined not only by the amount of time spent for specific activities but also by how such activities are performed, taking into account the interactions with others and the contexts. The study of NEET experiences allow a reflection both in reference to youth difficulties in managing time and their agency in an age of uncertainty." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Pastore, Francesco & Marco Pompili (2019): Assessing the impact of off- and on-the-job training on employment outcomes. A counterfactual evaluation of the PIPOL program. (GLO discussion paper / Global Labor Organization 333), Maastricht, 27 S.

Abstract

"This evaluation study aims to assess the impact of PIPOL, an integrated program of active labor policies, on the employment integration of benefit recipients. To address the issue, we have resorted to a counterfactual approach with data from two main sources: the program administration and compulsory communications on employment and unemployment spells. We found a net impact of +5pp on average; we found positive effects for on-the-job training, but no impact for off-the-job training. On-the-job training also affects the probability to find permanent work (+3pp). This is consistent with the view that young people have excellent theoretical, but very little work-related competences. Off-the-job training does affect the probability to experience at least one labor contract after 2016. These results are partly due to a lock-in effect, namely the tendency of those who attend training programs to delay their job search. Interestingly, we found that the program has a different impact for different typologies of recipients and different types of intervention. In a nutshell, active labor policy works when it generates work-related competences." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Tsekoura, Maria (2019): A case study analysis of the youth guarantee scheme implementation in Italy (Lombardy region). In: Young. Nordic Journal of Youth Research, Jg. 27, H. 5, S. 486-501. DOI:10.1177/1103308818817891

Abstract

"Using the implementation of the Youth Guarantee (YG) in the Italian context (Lombardy) as its point of departure, this article exemplifies the introduction of the YG scheme in national realities. Through review of relevant policy documents, the article identifies a contradiction between the policy model implied through the YG that builds upon a concept of active citizenship and an employment context that in reality offers limited structural opportunities for the enactment of these principles during processes of youth transition. This article will argue that initiatives for youth employment that are de-contextualized and lack a clear vision of youth lives can reinforce the existing order and power imbalances as they offer limited support for young people to develop a sense of success, self-determination and agency in terms of employability." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Goglio, Valentina & Roberto Rizza (2018): Young adult occupational transition regimes in Europe. Does gender matter? In: The international journal of sociology and social policy, Jg. 38, H. 1/2, S. 130-149. DOI:10.1108/IJSSP-04-2017-0052

Abstract

"Purpose
The objective of this paper is to achieve a greater understanding of the transitions young adults experience into and out of the labor market and the influence that gender and married/cohabiting status have on employment careers.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper focuses on young adults (25-34 years old) in four European countries - Italy, Netherlands, United Kingdom and Norway - that are representative of different youth transition regimes. Using longitudinal data from EU-SILC survey (for the years 2006-2012) and event history analysis we investigate: the effect of the particular set of institutional features of each country, the effect of the cohort of entry and of gender differences in determining transitions across labour market status.
Findings
Findings show that the filter exercised by the national institutions has a selective impact on the careers of young adults, with some institutional contexts more protective than others. In this respect, the condition of inactivity emerges as an interesting finding: on one side, it mainly involves women in a partnership, on the other side it is more common in protective youth regimes, suggesting that it may be a chosen rather than suffered condition.
Originality/value
The paper contributes to existing literature by: i) focusing on a specific category, young adults from 25 to 34 years old, which is increasingly recognized as a critical stage in the life course though it receives less attention than its younger counterpart (15-24); ii) integrating the importance of family dynamics on work careers by analysing the different effects played by married/cohabiting status for men and women." (Author's abstract, © Emerald Group) ((en))

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Albanese, Andrea, Lorenzo Cappellari & Marco Leonardi (2017): The effects of youth labor market reforms. Evidence from Italian apprenticeships. (CESifo working paper 6481), München, 32 S.

Abstract

"This paper estimates the causal effects of the 2003 reform of the Italian apprenticeship contract which aimed at introducing the 'dual system' in Italy by allowing on-the-job training. The reform also increased the age eligibility of the apprenticeship contract and introduced a minimum floor to apprentices' wages. Using administrative data and balancing techniques we find that five years after hiring, the new contract improves the chances of moving to a permanent job in the same firm, yet this happens mostly in large firms. There are also sizeable long-run wage effects of the reform, well beyond the legal duration of apprenticeships, compatible with increased human capital accumulation probably due to the training provisions of the reform." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bertoni, Marco & Giorgio Brunello (2017): Does delayed retirement affect youth employment? Evidence from italian local labour markets. (IZA discussion paper 10733), Bonn, 38 S.

Abstract

"Pension reforms that raise minimum retirement age increase the pool of senior individuals aged 50+ who are not eligible to retire from the labour market. Using data from Italian provinces and regions and an instrumental variable strategy, we estimate the effects of local changes in the supply of workers aged between 50 and minimum retirement age on youth, prime age and senior employment. Results based on provincial data from 2004 to 2015, a period characterized by declining real GDP, indicate that adding one thousand additional senior individuals to the local labour supply reduces employment in the age group 16-34 by 189 units. Estimates based on longer regional data covering the period 1996 to 2015, that includes also a period of growing real GDP, show smaller negative effects for young workers, suggesting that the employment costs of pension reforms may be lower when the economy is growing." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))