Young, gifted and unemployed in 2012

http://www.thenewfederalist.eu/Young-gifted-and-unemployed-in-2012,04870

Monday 19 March 2012, by Emily Hoquee


Young Europeans could be forgiven for feeling like they are part of a lost generation. Despite growing up on a continent where access to education is available like never before, an increasing number of young people are finding themselves unemployed.



The latest figures released by Eurostat, the EU’s statistical office, reveal that the unemployment rate in the EU rose again in January 2012 to 10.1%, up 0.6% from the previous January. Eurostat estimates that there are approximately 24.3 million unemployed men and women in the EU today.

The highest levels of unemployment were recorded in Spain (23.3%) and Greece (19.9%), where the lack of jobs has led to social unrest and emigration. The lowest unemployment figures were recorded in Austria (4.0%) and the Netherlands (5.0%). Amongst these figures are an estimated 5.5 million people under age 25. That’s 22.4% of the youth workforce, an extra 269,000 unemployed young people compared to figures from January 2011. Figures for youth unemployment were highest in Spain (49.9%), Greece (48.1%) and Slovakia (36.0%).

Unemployment in Europe has increased at an alarming rate since 2008, when the youth unemployment still remained high at just over 15%.

Charles Simmonds, 24, from West Sussex, UK, has a degree in Business Management and some professional work experience. He lost his temporary job in the financial services sector last summer, and despite sending many different applications he has had just two interviews and remains unemployed.

Charles said: “I apply for at least four jobs each week and the response rate is slow. Less than 10 per cent of companies reply to tell me yes or no. Signing on is the most depressing 20 minutes each fortnight. At uni they said your degree is your passport to your future, the key to open doors.”

Other jobseekers have resorted to more innovative means to promote themselves and their skills. Liam Morriss, 24, from Kent, UK, has been unemployed for the last six weeks after his temporary contract in retail ended. A keen runner, Liam decided to promote his skills and job hunt by jogging 10 kilometres per day from his home in Dartford into London. He wears a t-shirt that tells passersby “I’m unemployed, I’m a graduate and I’m jogging for jobs.”

Liam said: “I was so tired of being sat in front of my computer screen every day, trawling the same jobsites and having no success. It was getting me really down. This is the first period in my life I have been unemployed and I really felt like I’d lost a sense of purpose. Now I’m doing this, although it’s not a job, it gives me an aim every day.” Liam has a degree in Music Industry Management and has applied for over 30 jobs in the last month. He has had one interview, but was told he wasn’t experienced enough for the role.

He said: “I think it’s mad how I’ve graduated yet I’m considering starting an apprenticeship. One apprenticeship is as a trackman working for network rail. I’ve applied for a few secretarial and admin type roles, but everywhere seems to require previous experience.”

So just why are young people disproportionately affected by joblessness? James Higgins, Employment and Social Affairs Policy Officer at the European Youth Forum explained that the reasons are complex.

He said: “The majority of young people who are unemployed find themselves in this position due to difficulties in making the transition from education to employment. Some do not have sufficient skills, some employment sectors are oversubscribed, and in general young people tend to fall victim to an increasingly volatile labour market.”

Additionally, because young people are frequently over-represented in temporary and unstable jobs, this also contributes to the rising rate of youth unemployment.

A 2011 study by EUROFOUND, the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, found that young people are particularly vulnerable because they are often the first and last to enter the labour market, as they have to compete with more experienced job-seekers in a market with fewer jobs on offer.

Against this backdrop of disastrous statistics, what is the EU doing to tackle the soaring rate of youth unemployment?

Essentially, the EU has a number of different schemes which sit in the framework of its Europe 2020 strategy, a ten year plan to improve Europe’s economy. An Agenda for New Skills and Jobs is a European Commission policy initiative that aims to help the EU reach its employment target for 2020: 75% of 20-64 year olds in work. There’s also Youth on the Move, which aims to tackle youth unemployment by promoting opportunities for students and young professionals to live, study and work around the EU.

However well intended, there’s no disputing that two years into Europe 2020, youth unemployment is higher than ever and the future looks uncertain for many young jobseekers.

It is not surprising that the European Commission promotes mobility for young professionals as one way to help resolve the crisis, but if there are no jobs at home and no jobs abroad, what use is it moving? Young jobseekers need to work, or to be offered the opportunity to train or re-train, and sooner, rather than later.