1. Solutions to Youth Unemployment
by Bridging the Job Market Gap
(Assistant Professor University of St. Gallen)
Peter Vogel Strategy Consulting
@pevogel
www.petervogel.org
Prof. Dr. Peter Vogel
From Education to Employment

3. 3© Prof. Dr. Peter VogelAugust 11th, 2015
Some more facts
 In developing economies, close to 80% of
young workers work in informality
 Most statistics ignore the NEETs
 In the US, 15% of youths are NEETs
 In the EU, the NEET rate increased by 2%
over crisis
ILO: “The youth unemployment rate (12.6% in
2013) would be a full percentage point higher if
it included the NEETs”
e
10
million
unemployed youths
Snapshot Latin America
(total youth: 106 million)
million youth that
neither work nor study
million youth work in
informality
Youth (15-24) Unemployment Indicators
1.2 billion youth worldwide = 17% of total population
75 million are unemployed = 40% of total unemployed
Data Sources: ILO, OECD, Eurostat, World Population Prospects
30
22

4. Youth-to-Adult Unemployment Ratio
4© Prof. Dr. Peter VogelAugust 11th, 2015
Data: OECD, 2013

5. Youth-to-Adult Unemployment Ratio
5© Prof. Dr. Peter VogelAugust 11th, 2015
Data: OECD

6. Drivers of the Youth Unemployment Crisis
6© Prof. Dr. Peter VogelAugust 11th, 2015
Demand Side
 Low aggregate demand
 Inflexible labor markets / temporary jobs
 Informal recruiting inaccessible to youth
 False expectations of employers
 retirement age keeps older workers
Supply Side
 Lack of preparedness for work
 Lack of adequate skills and experiences
 Academic inflation
 Characteristics / attitude towards work
 Rise of youth population in some regions
 False expectations of young people
Mismatches
 Skills / capabilities mismatch
 Over-qualification
 Under-qualification
 Regional differences (developed vs. developing)
 Expectations mismatch


7. Digital Natives: A Generational Snapshot
7© Prof. Dr. Peter VogelAugust 11th, 2015

8. Digital Natives: A Generational Snapshot
8© Prof. Dr. Peter VogelAugust 11th, 2015
 Speed & convenience
 Shift of basic skills
 Little online privacy
 Virtual life replaces real life
 Over-exposure to information
 Education is regarded as less valuable
 Need for confirmation and mentoring

9. What if We Don’t Find Adequate Solutions?
9© Prof. Dr. Peter VogelAugust 11th, 2015
Individual Consequences
 Scarring effect on the person’s human-
and social capital
 Negative life-long effects on earnings
 Negatively influences psychosocial
development and overall well-being
 Prevents young people from developing
adequate work ethics
 Difficulty of young people to become
independent from parents
 Forces young people to accept part-time
or temporary employment
 Increases chances of subsequent
unemployment
Societal & Economic Consequences
 Waste of economic potential
 Threat of an undermined social stability
 Brain drain towards countries with better
job opportunities
 Loss of tax earnings for countries
 Increased criminality rate and anti-social
behavior, requiring more security
It is estimated that joblessness in the United
States alone will account for a total of $20
billion in lost earnings over the next ten years
Jacobs, 2014

10. Solutions – Multi-Stakeholder Efforts
10© Prof. Dr. Peter VogelAugust 11th, 2015

11. Intersection Education System – Labor Market
11© Prof. Dr. Peter VogelAugust 11th, 2015
“I always thought that by graduating from a renowned university I would easily find a job
within a few months time. But I was wrong. Now it is over a year and things just won’t
get any better. Neither for me nor for my peers…”
(Hanna, 25, recent graduate from a leading business school)
75% of European universities provide little or no career guidance (Futurework Forum)
No, and I would
not use it anyway
Yes, and it is
useful
Yes, but it is
not useful
No, but I would
find it useful

12. Necessity to Bridge the Job Market Gap
12© Prof. Dr. Peter VogelAugust 11th, 2015
Supply-Side
In the EU-28 there are 6 million
unemployed youth that are
employable but cannot find a job
(Eurostat)
Demand-Side
In the EU-28 there are 4 million jobs
that could not be filled because the
employers couldn’t find the individuals
with the right skills (G. Hultin, 2010)
Addressing the Mismatch
“It is imperative that we find solutions to bridge the job market gap & connect the
right talents with the available jobs, no matter where they are!” (FutureWork Forum)

13. Panelists
13© Prof. Dr. Peter VogelAugust 11th, 2015
Michelle Blanchet
Founder & Director
Educators’ Lab
Carsten Sudhoff
Founder & CEO
CircularSociety AG

14. Panel Questions
14© Prof. Dr. Peter VogelAugust 11th, 2015
 What changes are needed from both the education system and the
labor market to bridge the job market gap?
 Which role does dual education / vocational training play in solving
youth unemployment?
 What are some of the responsibilities of educators and employers?
 What are some of the best-practices we know?

15. Thank you for your attention!
15© Prof. Dr. Peter VogelAugust 11th, 2015
(Assistant Professor University of St. Gallen)
Peter Vogel Strategy Consulting
@pevogel
www.petervogel.org
Prof. Dr. Peter Vogel
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