The recently published Employment and Social Developments in Europe 2022 Report, by the European Commission shows that young people under 30 years of age were among the most negatively affected by job losses during the economic crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. It also shows that the recovery was slower for them than for other age groups. Possible explanations are linked to their high share of fixed-term contracts and difficulties in finding a first job after leaving school, university, or training.

The new report helps identify the employment and social policies needed to address the challenges young people are facing to become economically independent.

Among the main findings of the report, young people still face significant challenges to find jobs, or to find jobs that match their skills and experience. Young people with secondary education are 19 percentage points less likely to end up in a situation where they do not work and are not in education or training than those with a lower education level. For those with tertiary education, this risk is 28 percentage points lower. Young people from a disadvantaged background are even less likely to be in employment, education or training.