Labour market participation by young people

Labour market participation of 15 to 27-year-olds is based on the observation of three groups: employed, unemployed and people not active on the labour market. Employed and unemployed young people together constitute the young labour force. These young people:

• work at least twelve hours a week or
• have accepted a job of at least twelve hours a week or
• state that they would like to work at least twelve hours a week, are available and actively looking for a job of at least twelve hours a week.

Young people working at least twelve hours a week are included in the employed labour force. Young people not working at all or working less than twelve hours a week are included in the unemployed labour force.

Inactive young people are not included in the labour force. They do not work at all or less than twelve hours a week, are not actively looking for a job or are not promptly available for the labour market.

In this article, unemployed and inactive young people are taken together and placed in the category unemployed. Young people attending regular education are not taken into account. Since they are still in school, they do not require special attention from the government.