Youth employment in Europe: do institutions and social capital explain better than mainstream economics?

Bruno Contini ()

European Journal of Comparative Economics, 2012, vol. 9, issue 2, 247-277

Abstract: Why did employment growth - high in the last decade - take place at the expense of young workers mainly, but not only. in the countries of Southern Europe? Youth unemployment is now exceeding 30%, after decades hovering around 20% and over, despite a variety of factors, common to most EU countries, that would be expected to reduce its evolution: population ageing and the demographic decline, low labor cost of young workers, flexibility of working arrangements, higher educational attainment, low unionization of young workers, early retirement practices of workers 50+. But neither seems to provide a convincing explanation for countries of Southern Europe. Historically based institutions and political tradition, cultural values, social capital - factors that go beyond the standard explanation of economic theory - provide a more satisfying interpretation

Keywords: EU; labor; market; institutions; and; LM; performance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: F01 F16 J0 J23 J6 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (13)

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Related works:
Working Paper: Youth Employment in Europe: Institutions and Social Capital Explain Better than Mainstream Economics (2010)
Working Paper: Youth Employment in Europe: Institutions and Social Capital Explain Better than Mainstream Economics (2010)
Working Paper: Youth Employment in Europe: Institutions and Social Capital Explain Better than Mainstream Economics (2009)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:liu:liucej:v:9:y:2012:i:2:p:247-277

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