Off to a Good Start? Youth Labour Market Transitions in OECD Countries

The chapter first provides an overview of youth labour market performance over the past decade. It then presents evidence on the sensitivity of teen and young adult unemployment to the business cycle and the increased prominence of temporary and part-time jobs as modes of entry into work. Several indicators of the pace and modality of the school-to-work transition following completion of initial education are then presented and the quality of youth jobs is analysed, including the extent to which temporary and low-paid jobs serve as stepping stones to better jobs. Lastly, the chapter underlines the difficulty of moving out of non-employment for some school leavers – especially those who did not successfully complete secondary schooling – despite the overall fluidity of the youth labour market.