Trends in rates of NEET (not in education, employment, or training) subgroups among youth aged 15 to 24 in Italy, 2004 - 2019

AIM: The aim of the present study was to explore trends in NEET rates according to gender and NEET subgroups in young Italian people. Furthermore, it examined whether trends changed following specific time points such as financial crisis in 2008, education and labor market strategies, and the partial recovery of European economy in 2014. METHODS: All data were obtained from the ISTAT (Italian National Institute of Statistics) Database. NEET rates, stratified by gender and NEET subgroup, were extracted for young people aged 15 to 24 years from 2004 to 2019 in Italy. Trends in NEET rates stratified by gender and NEET subgroup (i.e., "unemployed", "potential workforce", "unavailable") were analyzed using joinpoint regression models. RESULTS: The trends of the unemployed NEET rate were stable or decreasing until 2008, increasing between 2008 and 2014 and thereafter decreasing across both male and female genders. The trends of potential workforce NEET rate sharply increased between 2004 and 2014, and afterwards decreased in both genders. Finally, the trends of unavailable NEET rate were stable in females and constantly increasing in males over the entire analyzed period. CONCLUSIONS: According to the results of this ecological study, trends differences in NEET subgroups’ rates emerged. The financial crisis in 2008 and the education and labor market strategies around 2014 mainly coincided with relevant changes in trends of unemployed NEET rate and, partially, with changes in trends of potential workforce NEET rate. The trend in unavailable NEET rate increased over the entire period in males, and did not show important changes in either gender. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10389-021-01484-3.