Indicator 8.20 Young people neither in employment nor in education and training

The indicator shows the share of young people aged 15 to 29 who are neither employed nor involved in education or training. Young people classified as neither in employment nor in education and training (NEET) are persons who are not employed and who have not participated in formal or non-formal education or training during the four weeks preceding the survey.

The indicator is used to monitor progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth, as well as Sustainable Development Goal 4 – Quality Education. It provides information on young people who are not engaged in either the labour market or education and training and may indicate difficulties in the transition from education to employment. The indicator can be considered related to global SDG indicator 8.6.1, “Proportion of youth (aged 15–24 years) not in education, employment or training”.

The indicator measures the share of the population aged 15 to 29 who are not employed and are not involved in education or training. A person is considered NEET if they are not employed, meaning that they are unemployed or outside the labour force according to the International Labour Organization definition, and if they have not participated in formal or non-formal education or training during the four weeks preceding the survey. A decrease in the share of young people who are neither in employment nor in education or training indicates improved participation of young people in education, training and the labour market.

The long-term objective of the indicator is to reduce the share of young people aged 15 to 29 who are neither in employment nor in education or training, while improving the transition of young people from education to employment and increasing their participation in the labour market.