• DOI:10.1332/175795919X15514456677349
• Corpus ID: 197825294

Young people and the Great Recession: Variations in the school-to-work transition in Europe and the United States

@article{Schoon2019YoungPA,
  title={Young people and the Great Recession: Variations in the school-to-work transition in Europe and the United States},
  author={Ingrid Schoon and John M. Bynner},
  journal={Longitudinal and Life Course Studies},
  year={2019}
}

• I. Schoon, J. Bynner
• Published 30 April 2019
• Economics
• Longitudinal and Life Course Studies

This paper reviews evidence on young people in Europe and the US making the transition
from school-to-work before and after the 2008 Great Recession. Taking a macro-level
perspective, similarities and differences in education and employment experiences across
different European countries are described, considering the role of different institutional
support systems in ‘scaffolding’ young people’s transitions to independence. It is argued
that the 2008 financial crisis brought with it reduced employment opportunities for young
people and accelerated pre-existing trends towards prolonged education participation
and precarious employment. There are, however, considerable variations across different
countries, highlighting the role of social institutions in supporting young people during
the school-to-work transition. Transition systems that created bridges between education
and employment are associated with lower national levels of youth unemployment, while
young people coming of age in less-protective transition regimes suffered highest levels of
youth unemployment, high levels of temporary employment and not being in education,
employment or training (NEET).