Two reports released recently, by OECD and International Labour Organisation, point to the fact that young people are yet to reap the rewards of the economic recovery in EU countries.

An OECD report said that more than half of all job creation in its 34 member countries since the mid-1990s has been in “non-standard work”, which accounts for about a third of total employment. By non-standard workers it means those who are either self-employed or in part time or temporary work. It states that these workers are worse off in many ways, not only in terms of earnings: they tend to receive less training and, in addition, those on temporary contracts have less job security than workers in standard jobs. The OECD recognizes that “non standard work can be a ‘stepping stone’ to more stable employment”, however “in many countries, younger workers, especially those with only temporary work contracts have a lower chance of moving on to a more stable, career job.”

A study from the International Labour Organisation, “the changing nature of jobs”, also highlights the growing inequality caused by insecure jobs, stating that only a quarter of workers globally have a permanent contract.

Young workers are particularly hit by those developments. They are disproportionately affected by such unstable work: 49% of young people are on these kind of temporary contracts as opposed to 11% of the wider adult population.

Young people have replaced older people as the group experiencing the greatest risk of poverty. Between 2007 and 2011 young people aged 18 to 25 suffered the most severe income losses, whilst for those aged 65 and over their income, on average, increased.

Read more on the issue in the EUobserver article “Youth worst affected by labour market gaps” published by Allan Päll.