One in five youngsters are out of work, education and training

Barcelona (ACN).- One in five Catalan youngsters is out of education, employment and training (Neet), according to a new report by the Young Section of the UGT union. The findings suggest that the Neet problem is growing in Catalonia, reflecting trends comparable to those of countries such as the UK, where one in four teenagers is also categorised as Neet.

The economic crisis has increased the number of people out of work and education. According to the data published by UGT, 98,700 young people in Catalonia could have been considered Neet in 2007. Two years later, after the economic downturn, 154,000 young people (56%) can be classified as such.

The UGT Secretary for Institutional Policy, Neus Munté described the figures as “alarming” and urged politicians to take action to buck this trend. Munté said that the labour reform promoted by the government would not help young people, as it does not offer any incentives for companies to employ new graduates.

The report by UGT, which is entitled, “Young = Precarious,” indicates that labour conditions are very unstable, even for those young people with a job. Similarly, it confirms that a large number of youngsters abandon their studies “too soon” (28.3%). More worrying still is the fact that the Catalan figures are the “best” in the whole of Spain. The findings also do not compare favourably to the situation in Europe as a whole, where only 14.9% of young people do not finish their education.

Worst of all are the youngsters who are out of work, education and training, but have no intention of finding a solution to their predicament. Official figures suggest that there are about 60,000 such people in Catalonia. Others want to find a job but are unable to penetrate the labour market, and when they try to apply for a new degree, they find it impossible.

A report by International Organization of Work states that 13% of young people are unemployed worldwide, warning about the risks of a “lost generation” that will have no hope of “a decent life.” The study also states that the rise of Neets is a loss to society, which must “invest in education” in order to maintain and/or develop solid social and economic foundations.