Unga vuxnas upplevelser av långtidsarbetslöshet : Etableringssvårigheter mellan aktivering och utanförskap

Sammanfattning

The aim of this research is to explore how long-term unemployed young adults aged 18-24 experience their unemployment. The study also focuses on investigating how long-term unemployed young adults experience the activation efforts they receive from the Public Employment Service and the municipalities, and to identify which of these efforts are perceived as meaningful in facilitating their path to employment and establishment in the labor market. The empirical material of the study consists of qualitative research interviews with six young adults long-term unemployed aged 18-24 from different municipalities in Sweden. The data collection was then analyzed with an abductive approach and thematically analyzed based on stigmatization theory and various discussions about activation policy, active citizenship and individualized responsibility. The results of my study show that long-term youth unemployment has negative consequences on the social relationships, economy, mental and physical health of young unemployed people. All informants experience that they are inferior and stigmatized in the labor market and by their environment. Based on the study, I concluded that there is still a great need for individually adapted activation measures and that further work is needed to include young adult long-term unemployed people in the labor market to ensure their participation in activation measures.