Young People in Turkey who are Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET)

Abstract

In recent years, young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) has become an important indicator in studies conducted on young people by both international organizations and various countries. NEET is considered an important and noteworthy indicator for demonstrating the social situation of young people in present-day populations. The number of studies in Turkey on this subject is currently very limited. The aim of this study was to identify and describe the gender, age, education, and status within the labor market of young people between the ages of 15-24 who are not in education, employment, or training. In accordance with the study aim, data from the Turkish Statistical Institute’s (Türkiye İstatistik Kurumu, TÜİK) 2012 Household Labor Market Survey were used. In addition, studies from the International Labor Organization (ILO), the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and Eurofound were used in order to make comparisons with data from other countries. Based on calculations performed by utilizing data from TÜİK’s 2012 Household Labor Market Survey, it was determined that Turkey has a considerably high ratio of NEET among its young population. This study also proposes several suggestions for reducing the ratio of NEET in Turkey.