Youth Poverty and Social Exclusion in Europe – Position Paper

According to the European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN), 29.7% of European youth experienced poverty and social exclusion in 2012. This paper argues that governments maintain too narrow a discussion, focusing on employment and labour market integration. EAPN emphasizes that the current employment-only approaches will not adequately address the diversity of the issue, and will result in a lost generation beyond the labour market.

This position paper is EAPN’s contribution to the debate about youth inclusion, which should be the objective, with employment as a key element rather than the only focus. This paper presents overviews of selected countries with a focus on the issues child poverty and social exclusion. A large segment is then dedicated to alternatives, courses of action, and what is needed to promote social inclusion and employment of youth in Europe.