1500 job seekers in Reykjavik

Around 1500 young people aged 18–29 in Reykjavík are not in education, employment or activity. Behind this number are real individuals. Young people who have their entire life ahead of them. It is therefore important that we catch young people in inactivity and provide the support they need to return to activity.

The term used for the group is NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) and this is a group that leaders across Europe have been increasingly concerned about. In 2023, the proportion of individuals aged 15–29 in the group was over 11% in the European Union. In Iceland, the proportion was 6.3% among individuals aged 16–24 in 2022, according to Statistics Iceland. The reasons why individuals are inactive are varied. Some young people have dropped out of school or faced learning difficulties, others struggle with mental ill-health, illness or social difficulties that make it difficult for them to start or maintain employment.

The consequences of inactivity are significant for both the individuals themselves and society. Young people in inactivity do not build up experience, skills or a network through education or work. The self-confidence and social skills of individuals in inactivity decrease and the risk of social isolation, poverty and distress increases. For society, the inactivity of young people can imply a loss of human resources, lead to a reduction in the nation's productivity and increase the cost of the welfare system. It is therefore clear that it is important to increase support for young people who drop out of activity.

We need to take bigger steps

We in Framsókn believe that the City of Reykjavík needs to take bigger steps to meet this group of young people. At today's city council meeting, we propose that the welfare department, in cooperation with the cultural and sports department and the school and leisure department, be tasked with implementing actions to increase activity and support for individuals aged 16–29 who are not in education, employment or activity.

We also propose that the city implements prosperity agreements with parents or guardians of children who complete primary school, with the aim of increasing the city's cooperation with upper secondary schools and responding to dropout from upper secondary schools. This means that the upper secondary school and the municipality can engage in closer cooperation and it is possible to respond immediately to signs that an individual is dropping out of education. Such agreements have been successful in other municipalities like Árborg.

Experience shows us that with the right approach and coordinated actions, it is possible to achieve results with groups that fall between the cracks of traditional welfare services. By intervening early with integration of services and individualised support, we can help young people find their way and enter education, work or other activities.

Magnea Gná Jóhannsdóttir, city councillor.

The article was first published on visir.is 2025.