NEETs in Bulgaria:status and profile

Sofia, 19 May 2015

ASSESSMENT

OF THE STATUS

OF NEETS

IN BULGARIA

National Representative Survey among

Young People aged 15 - 24 (1200 people)

Qualitative Survey among young people

aged 15 - 24 (6 focus groups)

Qualitative survey among the stakeholders (3

focus groups)

Qualitative survey among the stakeholders

(10 in-depth interviews)

Consultations under the Delphi method with

the stakeholders (19 experts)

Discussion meeting with the stakeholders (24

experts)

Discussion meeting with NEETs (20 people)

COMMISSIONED BY

UNICEF

IMPLEMENTED

IN THE PERIOD

AUGUST-SEPTEMBER, 2014

ASSESSMENT IS BASED ON:

Current state

~752 000 people

aged 15 - 24

(NSI, 2013)

51,6%

28,7%

22,3% NEETs

In employment

In training

Base 1200, question with option for multiple answers

Current state

NEETs = ~168 000 people

15-18: 27 000

19-24: 141 000

10,6%

28,0%

22,3%

15-18(base: 396)

19-24(base: 804)

total 15-24(base: 1200)

NEETs in the age groups

Current state

NEETs by settlementNEETs by education

19%

27%

48%

5% Higher

Secondary

Basic

Lower thanbasic

Early school-

dropouts

47% 12%

25%

28%

36%Village

Other town

Regional Centre

Sofia

Base: NEETs, 267Base: NEETs, 267

Current state

NEETs by gender and ethnicityNEETs by ethnicity

3%

36%

15%

46%

Bulgarian

Turkish

Roma

Other/noanswer

24% 27%

21%27%

Total 46%

Total 54%

Bulgarian Other..

Female

Male

Base: NEETs, 267 Base: NEETs, 267

7

NEETS

IN THE MAIN

GROUPSAT HIGHEST RISK FOR

JOINING THE NEETs ARE:

ROMA

LOW-EDUCATED

LIVING IN SMALL

SETTLEMENTS

22%

64%

59%

38%

30%

14%

73%

68%

38%

16%

33%

27%

17%

12%

All aged 15-24 (base: 1200)

Roma wormen (base: 69)

Roma (base: 164)

Turkish women (base: 66)

Turkish (base: 136)

Bulgarian (base: 869)

Lower than basic (base: 108)

With basic education (base: 71)

With secondary eduation (base: 338)

With higher education (base: 79)

In villages (base: 289)

In a different town (base: 271)

in regional centre (base: 391)

In Sofia (base: 249)

8

NEETS

SUB-GROUPS

IDENTIFIED ON THE BASE

OF EMPLOYMENT AND

EDUCATIONAL STATUS

32,2%

12,4%

21,7%

19,1%

14,6% Unemployed with at leastsecondary education, withexperience

Unemployed with at leastsecondary education, noexperience

Unemployed with lower thansecondary education

Inactive, social maternitybeneficieries

Inactive, not searching foremployment

Unemployed:

55.4%

Economically

inactive:

44.6%

Base: NEETs, 267

Duration in NEET situation

Average number of years in NEETs

based on education and experienceDuration

Base: NEETs, 234 Base: NEETs, 234

19%

10%

11%

44%

16%

1 - 3 m

3 - 6 m

7 - 12 m

Over 1 year

No answer1,0

1,4

3,4

4,0

At least secondaryeducation, with experience

At least secondaryeducation, no experience

Lower than secondaryeducation, with experience

Lower than secondaryeducation, no experience

10

CAUSES CONTRIBUTING

TO THE FORMATION OF

THE NEETS GROUP

Family and environment Education

Qualification and experience Motivation

Family

PROBLEMS IN THE FAMILY ENVIRONMENT CONSIDERABLY

INREASE THE RISK OF JOINING THE NEETs

Presence of risk groups in the family

Incomplete family or lack of family

Following community rules and traditions (early marriages)

Environment and living standard

UNFAVOURABLE ENVIRONMENT BLOCKS THE DEVELOPMENT OF

YOUNG PEOPLE

Low living standard

Lack of occupation in the leisure time

Hibernating inertness in small settlements

Fear of the big city

High competition in the cities

Housework

Education

JOINING THE NEETs GROUP IS LARGELY DEPENDENT ON

THE LEVEL OF THE EDUCATION ATTAINED

73%

68%

38%

16%

with lower than basic education (basis:…

with basic education (basis: 71)

with secondary education (basis: 338)

with higher education (basis: 79)

Share of NEETs among individuals:

Education

DIFFICULTIES IN SCHOOL ARE THE FIRST INDICATION OF THE

PRESENCE OF YOUNG PEOPLE AT RISK

45%

30%

50%

67%

5%

2%

NEETs

outsideNEETs

had difficulties had no difficulties no answer

Base: NEETs, 267, outside NEETs, 933

Lack of qualification

LACK OF QUALIFICATION IS THE MOST SERIOUS BARRIER FOR

STARTING WORK

36%

33%

20%

11%Economically inactive with qualification

Unemployed with qualification

Economcally inactive with no qualification

Unemployed with no qualification

With qualification:31%

No qualification:69%

Lack of experience

EVERY FIFTH NEET BELIEVES THAT S/HE IS OUT OF EMPLOYMENT DUE

TO LACK OF EXPERIENCE

28%

6%

36%

31% Economically inactive, have neverbeen employed

Unemployed, have never beenemployed

Economically inactive, have beenemployed

Unemployed, have been employed

Have never been employed:

67%

Have been employed:33%

Behaviour at the labour market

NEETs ENCOUNTER SERIOUS DIFFICULTIES WHILE

SEARCHING FOR A JOB

They don’t know:

Where to search

How to search

What documents to prepare

How to present themselves in front of employers

Main channel for job

search – personal

contacts (84%)

Behaviour at the labour market

POOR AWARENESS AND LOW LEVEL OF PARTICIPATION IN

EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMMES AND MEASURES

14%

28%

5%7%

NEETs Outside NEETs

Having heard of programmes/projects

Having participated inprogrammes/projects

Base: NEETs, 267, outside NEETs, 933

Motivation

15% OF NEETs ARE NOT WILLIG TO START WORK OR to CONTINUE THEIR EDUCATION

These are mainly young people:

from small towns and villages

of Roma origin, with women slightly outnumbering the men

with basic or lower education

with no vocational qualificationBase: NEETs, 267

Motivation

THE LACK OF MOTIVATION IS NOT TYPICAL OF ALL NEET

More positive attitude is typical of the lower-risk groups

Base: NEETs, 234

46% 28% 26%

Yes No Don't know

Do you expect anything to change in the next 6-12 months?

Motivation

CONTINUING THE EDUCATION IS NOT AMONG THE MAIN GOALS OF NEETs

NEETs Outside NEETs

Work/business 84% 79%

Education 16% 66%

Money/ purchases 59% 62%

Family/children 39% 43%

Travel 39% 59%Base: NEETs, 267, outside NEETs, 933

What do you want to achieve in the next few years?

Recommendations

Introducing a system for identification of NEETs, incl. early warning

system

Profiling the programmes and measures in line with the various NEETs

subgroups

Expanding the scope of measures in the area of education

Developing mechanism for efficient interinstitutional coordination

System of indicators to assess the efficiency of measures and

programmes for the NEETs

For further information:

www.unicef.bg