Enterprising care?Unpaid voluntary action in the 21st century

Throughout the European Union, rates of unemployment among young people tend to be higher than among the general population and there is a serious risk of marginalisation and exclusion. This book presents the findings of a comparative study of unemployed youth in Europe using a large and original data set. It addresses some of the key questions around the issue, including: How do young people cope with unemployment? Does unemployment lead to social exclusion of young people, implying a withdrawal from society, financial deprivation, and social isolation? Drawing on a research sample of over 17,000 young unemployed people in ten European countries, the book examines how different welfare strategies and fiscal structures in different countries influence the risk of social exclusion among unemployed youth. It also considers different dimensions of social exclusion, such as financial hardship, political participation, social isolation, and mental health among unemployed young people. Gender differences in unemployment and outcome are analysed as a result of gender specific coping strategies and unemployment behaviour. The results illuminate, in particular, the contrast between different welfare regimes in the north and south of Europe.