Youth unemployment in the EU is higher than overall unemployment, and high by international standards. Since 2008, the economic downturn has been the main aggravating factor. However, many EU states have high long-term structural unemployment which affects all age groups, but the young most severely. Higher education is protecting young people against the risk of unemployment to a lesser extent than older workers.
EU schemes to encourage apprenticeships and traineeships are unlikely to be able to substitute for national policy action.
If governments fail to adapt their education systems, solutions could emerge from the private sector or civil society.
High youth unemployment could turn young people to political radicalism and away from their traditional relatively high support for the EU.
