Number of unemployed, untrained youth in France remains high

The number of young people without a job and without training remains high in France compared to some of its European neighbours, says a new OECD reports that was released on Wednesday.

The unemployment rate among young people without education and training in France is 16 per cent. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard

The biennial report titled Society at a Glance is produced focuses on youth unemployment in the 35 member countries.

“It is getting harder and harder for young people with low skills to find a job, let alone a steady job in today’s workplace,” said Stefano Scarpetta, OECD Director of Employment, Labour and Social Affairs.

“Unless more is done to improve opportunities in education and training for everyone, there is a growing risk of an increasingly divided society.”

The report states that about 40 million young people in OECD countries, equivalent to 15 per cent of youth aged 15 to 29, are not in education, employment or training. It adds that the chances of young school drop outs may not improve even if the economy picks up.

In France, the rate of unemployed young people without training has not declined since 2013 and remains high at nearly 16 per cent which is almost twice that of Germany.

France fares better than some of the other EU countries like Italy, Greece and Spain where the rate is 26.9, 24.7 and 22.7 per cent respectively.

The report states that fighting early school leaving is essential and that “governments must ensure that young people obtain at least an upper-secondary qualification so they can continue in education or gain vocational skills.”

Despite progress, one in six 25-34 year olds in OECD countries left school before upper secondary,” it says.