Introduction

In this chapter we examine three hypothetical consequences of chronic youth (ages 15 to 25) unemployment: a declining work ethic, a rising crime rate, and the emergence of a social underclass. As our considerations are mainly based on the employment situation in the Netherlands, we present some relevant information from that country in the first section. Next, we discuss empirical findings regarding the relationship among the work ethic, delinquency, and youth unemployment. We argue that a specific category of the young adult unemployed are at risk of becoming part of an underclass of socially, culturally, and economically marginalized people. Last, we explore the extent to which structural (youth) unemployment reveals the limitations of the welfare state.

Background

In the Netherlands attending school is obligatory until the age of 18. For 16- and 17-year-olds a so-called dual trajectory is allowed. After leaving junior secondary vocational education at the age of 16, one can enter the apprenticeship system. Apprentices are required to attend school for no more than two days a week (for 17-year-olds) or for one day a week (for 18-year-olds). But less than 10 percent of young people follow this trajectory, as Table 9.1 shows (under part-time education). Most stay in full-time education until the age of 20 and then enter the labor market.