In Lithuania, the number of young people who are neither studying nor working has been steadily increasing in recent years, and experts have warned that the trend has also spread from rural areas to large cities.
Researchers and Eurostat data show that the number of young people aged 19 to 29 who are not employed, not studying or not participating in any training has steadily increased in the last five years. Vilnius University Associate Professor Rūta Brazienė said that the trend is particularly pronounced in the regions, but it can also be observed in and around major cities. She said that the number of such young people is steadily increasing, and differences are visible when looking at the level of education and age. The largest number of unemployed people who are not studying are in the age group from 25 to 29, especially among women. If in 2022, young people who are neither working nor studying made up 11% of the total number, then in 2024 they were already 15.5%.
The largest number of unemployed young people in January of this year was registered in Kaunas, Visaginas and Anykščiai. However, officials pointed out that the data only reflects those young people who are actively looking for work, and
those who are neither working nor trying to find work are of much greater concern.
Employment Service consultant Inga Nomeikienė said that changes in attitudes towards work could be one of the reasons – for young people, work is no longer just a source of income to survive, they are also looking for meaning, psychological comfort and flexibility. If employers offer strict and unchangeable working conditions, young people may choose not to work at all.
Experts also pointed to structural problems – a lack of job opportunities in certain regions, low wages and inadequate transport infrastructure. Brazienė also added that the education system has its shortcomings, and young people enter the labor market unprepared.
Lithuanian Education Minister Raminta Popovienė acknowledged that the data shows a worrying picture, and noted that it is necessary to provide young people with more opportunities, for example, in vocational training. The minister also highlighted the mismatch between education and the labor market, which creates a situation where many school graduates work in completely different jobs than they studied.
Read the full article in English here: https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/2870317/neither-work-nor-school-concerning-trends-amid-lithuanian-youth
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