ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses the critical issue of youth unemployment in Sweden and globally, uncovering the structural changes that delay young people’s transition from school to work. It discusses how advancements in technology and automation, along with a globalised economy and flexible capitalism, have replaced stable, long-term employment with short-term, precarious jobs, making it increasingly difficult for young people to establish stable careers. While these conflicts arise from structural changes, this chapter highlights the trend towards individualised policy orientations in Western welfare states. It has been argued that welfare societies have moved towards active societies, reconceptualising structural inequality in terms of individual exclusion. This chapter concludes by suggesting that this shift risks hindering efforts to achieve a sustainable and inclusive future for young adults worldwide. In addition, it proposes that a more effective approach would be to address socioeconomic inequality within and between countries and regions.
