Abstract

Lately in Europe increasing attention has been paid to the concept of Neet (young people not in employment, education or training) as it conveys the magnitude and complexity of youth disadvantage in present-day societies. Italy reports today the highest Neet rate in the EU-28: one in four young people in the 15-34 age class - namely more than three million people - is currently not participating in the economic life of the country. This paper gives an insight into the population of Italian Neets by examining the intertwining of their demographic and socio-economic characteristics. To that aim, Istat's "Labour Force Survey" is used to explore the Neet indicator over time and to trace the micro-determinants associated with the Neet condition in Italy.