Youth Unemployment in Transition Countries and Regions

The reduction of youth unemployment and the building of employment pathways is a key target of the European Employment Guidelines, within the framework of the European Employment Strategy. Beyond promoting more and better investments in human capital, the Guidelines, within the framework of the European Employment Strategy, also include targets for reducing early school leaving and a ‘new start’ within six months of unemployment for unemployed young people. Youth employment issues have also been given a higher profile in the Commission’s Strategic Guidelines for Cohesion for the period 2007–2013 as well as in the new European Social Fund regulation. In particular, in the 2007 Communication on promoting young people’s full participation in education, employment and society, the Commission stressed the need to promote youth labour market integration in the larger context of general employment policies (‘flexicurity’). Lastly, the Commission has adopted (April 27, 2009) a new EU strategy — entitled ‘Youth: Investing and Empowering’ highlighting that (1) young people are one of the most vulnerable groups in society, especially in the current economic and financial crisis and (2) in our ageing society, young people are a precious resource;1 in addition, the new strategy emphasizes the importance of youth work and defines reinforced measures for a better implementation of youth policies at the EU level.2