Youth unemployment in Southern Europe – Result of the crisis or a flaw in the system?

The traditionally high levels of youth unemployment in Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain soared even further with the outbreak of the financial crisis. Rigid labour markets and deficiencies in the education systems are major structural causes of this problem. In the medium to long term, labour market reforms and changes to the education system, in addition to an improvement in the overall economy, are urgently needed to overcome the problem. But in the short term, active labour market policies and increased mobility for training and employment purposes can provide relief.

Youth unemployment in Southern Europe – Result of the crisis or a flaw in the system?