Employment and Poverty Among Young People: a European perspective

Abstract

This article focuses on young people in Europe between the ages of 17 and 25. It examines the extent to which young people face disadvantage in the labour market, and the incidence of poverty among young people. Even in better-off countries, young people are at higher-than-average risk of poverty, being less likely to have a job than older adults, and more likely to be on a low wage or an insecure contract. We find that young people may to some extent be protected from poverty by having a job themselves, by support from their family of origin, or by support from a working partner. We examine the extent to which these protective factors are present in different countries, and conclude that young people are most likely to experience poverty and the absence of any of these protective factors in countries whre young people typically leave home without yet having found a job.