THE ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF THE YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT CASE IN EU COUNTRIES: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Year 2017, Volume: 9 Issue: 1, 77 - 99, 01.02.2017

Murat Putun Ali Samet Karatas İbrahim Ethem Akyıldız

Abstract

Unemployment has risen to alarmingly high levels but the scope and magnitude of the
youth unemployment is much more depressing than ever in the EU. In the face of recent
economic crisis and disturbances, unemployed young people were hardest hit and likely
to become the most vulnerable section of the population in many years to come in the EU
countries. The recent statistics suggests that youth unemployment rate is twice as much
higher than average rate of unemployment in the EU. The recent crisis and accompanying
lower economic performance has aggravated the condition of youth unemployment. The
impact of youth unemployment has been felt differently in different regions. This
problem is much more serious in Southern members of the EU than that of Northern
members. In this context, youth unemployment is increasingly becoming a real threat for
completion of European Integration process. This work employs data-supported statistical analysis to address the causes and consequences of the deep-rooted reality of youth
unemployment in EU. The objective is to link structural and cyclical setbacks with the
corresponding data and to present insightful interpretation accordingly.

Keywords

Youth Unemployment, Unemployment Rate, Economic Crisis, Business Cycle, Labour Market Disturbances, Regional Disparities, European Union, European Integration Process