Portugal 10th in EU with more 15-29 year-olds outside labour market

  • Lusa
  • 30 August 2022

The data was released by Eurostat, and reveals that last year 86.9% of young Portuguese students aged 15 to 29 were not working, with another 10.3% employed and 2.9% unemployed.

Portugal was, in 2021, the tenth country in the European Union (EU) with more young students between 15 and 29 years old outside the labour market, equivalent to 86.9%, above the EU average of 73.4%, Eurostat reported on Monday.

The data was released by the EU’s statistical office, Eurostat, and reveals that last year 86.9% of young Portuguese students aged 15 to 29 were not working, with another 10.3% employed and 2.9% unemployed.

In the EU as a whole, in 2021, 23% of young people aged 15-29 in formal education were also employed, while 3% were looking for a job and available to start work (i.e. unemployed).

However, the majority of young European students (73%) were outside the labour force (neither employed nor unemployed).

With higher percentages of young students out of work than Portugal were, in 2021, Romania (97.4%), Slovakia (95.4%), Bulgaria (94.2%), Hungary (94%), Croatia (92.5%), Italy (92%), Greece (91.8%), Czech Republic (91.2%) and Poland (87.1%).

In these data on youth unemployment and youth participation in education and the labour market, Eurostat notes that “the speed with which young people transition from education to the labour market varies greatly across EU member states”, with young people in some countries starting work, for example, in the form of part-time, weekend or student work while still participating in formal education.

By countries, the Netherlands had, in 2021, the highest percentage of students aged 15-29 who were employed while still studying (70%), followed by Denmark (49%) and Germany (42%).

In contrast, the lowest percentages of employment among young students were seen in Romania (2%), Slovakia (4%), Hungary and Bulgaria (both 5%).