Abstract:

This paper provides a literature review on the group aged between 15-24, who are not in employment, education or training (NEET) and it examines the current situation in the European Union (EU) at macro level. Since young unemployment is one of the major concerns of the EU, investing in human capital is essential both for employability and social inclusion of the youth. Since the recent objectives of the EU aim to tackle ageing population and high rates of young unemployment and to obtain smart, sustainable and inclusive growth in addition to worldwide competitiveness, they emphasise on the crucial role of the young population. This paper tries to answer the question whether the ‘Europe 2020’ is successful in terms of coping with the problem of NEET. While analysing this issue, firstly it examines the categorisation and the potential reasons for being NEET. Then, in the light of the current data of the second quarter of 2019, it figures out the state of play considering the targets of ‘Europe 2020’. It demonstrates that the success cannot be achieved by the data regarding   merely employment and education. Moreover, it focuses on the risks emerged both on the economic and social areas due to remaining outside the education and labour market. Lastly, criticism towards the current policies of the EU and recommendations for the following strategy document is presented.

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