Lost in transition ! Factors leading to Neet status in youth populations
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12600445 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Gabriel Lozano‐Reina (0000-0002-1225-3422, Universidad de Murcia, corresponding author), Laura Pérez-García (Universidad de Murcia), Gregorio Sánchez Marín (0000-0003-0175-814X, Universidad de Alcalá) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-25 |
| Publication date | 2026-02-08 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Youth Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1367-6261 • E-ISSN: 1469-9680 |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/13676261.2026.2618070 |
| OpenAlex | W7128424099 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 59 |
The NEET phenomenon poses persistent social and economic challenges, although its drivers remain context-dependent and unevenly distributed across space. This study conducts a systematic literature review (2015–2025) to synthesize determinants of youth NEET status through an explicitly spatial, multi-level lens (macro, meso, micro). Across 50 studies, we identify consistent macro influences – youth unemployment, labor precariousness, fiscal and social policies – together with meso factors tied to family background, education systems and school-to-work transitions, and micro determinants including gender, age and educational attainment. Evidence also shows marked territorial differentiation, with peripheral and rural regions displaying persistently higher risks due to constrained opportunity structures and weaker institutional capacity. Differentiating NEET-unemployed from NEET-inactive clarifies heterogeneous trajectories and policy needs. We translate findings into evidence-based, place-sensitive policy recommendations that combine structural reforms with targeted social and educational support, offering actionable insights for inclusive and resilient youth strategies. The review also outlines a future research agenda on digitalization, automation, green transitions, and rigorous comparative/longitudinal evaluation.
Ethnic group · Inequality · Population · Race (biology · Socioeconomic status · Education Systems and Policy · Social Issues and Policies · Youth Education and Societal Dynamics
Young people and the Great Recession
Are we failing young people not in employment, education or training (Neets)? A systematic review and meta-analysis of re-engagement interventions
Towards a Methodology for Developing Evidence‐Informed Management Knowledge by Means of Systematic Review
Conceiving of and politically responding to Neets in Europe
Risk Factors of Being a Youth Not in Education, Employment or Training (Neet)
Spatial variations and clustering in the rates of youth unemployment and Neet
Risk factors of Neet (Not in Employment, Education or Training) in South Korea
Public Employment Services and Vulnerable Youth in the EU
Neets and Youth Guarantee Registration
Subjective Well‐Being of Neets and Employability
Active Labour Market Policies and Youth Employment in European Peripheries
Can parents’ education lay the foundation for reducing the inactivity of young people? A regional analysis of Italian Neets
Is the distribution of Neets and early leavers from education and training converging across the regions of the European Union
School-to-work transition
Persistency in the Neet state
Neet youth in central and eastern European countries
What makes Turkish youth Neet
Spatialities of being a young Neet in an era of turbulence
Parental socioeconomic resources and adverse childhood experiences as predictors of not in education, employment, or training
What makes youth become Neet? Evidence from Russia
School-to-work transitions in times of crisis
Fractured lives
Being Neet in Youthspaces of the EU South
Youth and Spatiality
The spatial division of precarious labour across the European Union regions
Policy mixes and youth vulnerability in Europe
School-to-work transition in France
Neets in Spain
Barriers to studying and working
Social Work Graduates as Youth Not in Education, Employment, or Training (Neet) in Türkiye
The influence of neighbourhood crime on young people becoming not in education, employment or training
The Impact of Education on Youth Employability
Who are the young people who are not in education, employment or training? An application of the risk factors to a rural area in the UK
Neets and Youth Unemployment
Being Neet in Europe Before and After the Economic Crisis
Mapping Young Neets Across Europe
China's Youth in Neet (Not in Education, Employment, or Training)
Not a very Neet solution
Going Behind the High Rates of Neets in Italy and Spain
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |