Presentation at the conference:

Research, Innovation, Competitiveness and Regional Development

(Athens, Greece 21-22.06.2019)

 

‘NEETs expansion in the Mediterranean EU South: Inquiring the 2005-18 period’

 

Effie EMMANOUIL, PhD Candidate, Department of Geography, University of the Aegean

Michalis POULIMAS, Post-Doctoral researcher, Department of Geography, University of the Aegean

Ioannis PAPAGEORGIOU, Researcher, University of the Aegean

Stelios GIALIS, Assistant Professor in Economic and Labor Geography, Department of Geography, University of the Aegean

 

Abstract:

The notion of NEETs (young people that are Not in Employment, Education or Training) offers a credible analytical tool capable of capturing the youth’s “absence” from the socio-productive structures. Focusing on NUTS-II level regions, this paper will present a theoretically informed empirical research on NEETs and their spread in some of the Mediterranean EU countries between 2005 and 2018. It reveals the multiple dimensions of the young NEET phenomenon through a brief literature review in the study areas followed by an empirical account of its spatial growth and progress. Moreover, maps are presented in order to display the most vulnerable areas, regarding the NEET phenomenon, by calculating their percentage change over time. In addition, regional concentration measures (e.g. the location quotient (LQ)) are calculated in order to reveal the high NEET concentrations across the regions under study. Finally, the NEETs phenomenon will be compared to youth unemployment and inactivity while its structural characteristics will be further explored. The study demonstrates the severe impact of the economic crisis and recession on NEETs phenomenon and comments on the relation between NEETs, GDP per capita and economic sectors prevalence, for the regions under study.

The present study reflects findings from the research project “A Place for Youth in Mediterranean EEA: Resilient and Sharing Economies for NEETs” (YOUTHShare) which is funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA and by the Norway Grants Fund for Youth Employment.

 

Presentation:

NEETs expansion in the Mediterranean South. Inquiruing the 2008-2018 period