Abstract
The paper argues that the British youth labour market is in a crisis with employment falling, unemployment and long-term unemployment rising rapidly. In section one the paper reviews the evidence and, in particular, looks at alternative measures of unemployment duration. Section two discusses various explanations for the growth of youth unemployment and dismisses the view that it is due to the increase in relative wages of young people. It is argued that the youth labour market has several distinctive features that make it more sensitive to cyclical fluctuations. Section three takes a brief look at various policies to alleviate the problem. Section four concludes the paper stressing that a reflation of the economy is necessary to make a significant impact on youth unemployment.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Beveridge, Sir William 1944: Full employment in a free society. London: Allen and Unwin.
Bushell, R. 1986: Evaluation of the Young Workers Scheme. Employment Gazette, May 1986, pp. 145–152.
Clarke, K.B. and Summers, L.H. 1982: The dynamics of youth unemployment. In The Youth Labor Market Problem, Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Feldstein, M. 1973: Lowering the permanent rate of unemployment. A study prepared for the use of the Joint Economic Committee, Congress of the United States. Washington: US Government Printing Office.
Greenwood, W. 1933: Love on the dole. London: Jonathan Cape.
Hall, R.E. 1972: Turnover in the labor force. Brookings Papers on Economic Activity Vol. 3, pp. 709–764.
House of Lords 1982: Report from the Select Committee of the House of Lords on Unemployment Vol. I–Report. London: HMSO.
Junankar, P.N. 1984: Youth unemployment and youth crime: a preliminary analysis. Australian National University, Centre for Economic Policy Research, Discussion paper No. 106.
Junankar, P.N. and Neale, A.J. 1986: Relative wages and the youth labour market. In Junankar, P.N., editor, From school to unemployment? The labour market for young people London: Macmillan.
Lynch, L. 1984: State dependence in youth unemployment: a lost generation. Centre for Labour Economics, London School of Economics, Discussion paper No. 184.
Main, G.M. 1981: The length of employment and unemployment in Great Britain. Scottish Journal of Political Economy 28, 146–64.
Malinvaud, E. 1977: The theory of unemployment reconsidered. Oxford: Basil Black well. OECD: The nature of youth adult unemployment differentials.
OECD Employment Outlook September 1983, pp. 73–80.
Raffe, D. 1984: Change and continuity in the. youth labour market: a critical review of structural explanations of youth unemployment. Paper presented to the British Sociological Association Conference on Work, Employment and Unemployment, Bradford, April 1984.
Rajan, A. 1986: The Young Workers Scheme: a preliminary assessment. In Junankar, P.N., editor, From school to unemployment? The labour market for young people, London: Macmillan.
Roberts, K., Duggan, J. and Noble, M. 1981: Unregistered youth unemployment and outreach careers work. Department of Employment Research Paper No. 31 (November, 1981).
Copyright information
© 1987 Taylor and Francis
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Junankar, P.N. (1987). The British Youth Labour Market in Crisis. In: Economics of the Labour Market. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137555199_8
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137555199_8
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-137-55518-2
Online ISBN: 978-1-137-55519-9
eBook Packages: Economics and FinanceEconomics and Finance (R0)