9058009795

- 16-

Hartmańn, Sweden

As stated in a report of the Statistical Bureau of Sweden the transition from education and vocational training to the ordinary labour market is delayed by:

-    placement in a youth team as the first measure taken by employment services,

-    predominant creation of youth teams in the public sector which. as a result of budgetary restrictions, cannot hire morę young people even if there is a demand for work,

-    active search for a job decreases during placement in youth teams,

-    youth team work replaces jobs on the open market.

(SCB 1987:2,43)

The replacement of relief-work schemes and other former measures for unemployed youth aged 18 and 19 by youth teams only securing half-time employment was heavily criticized by many young people, as their ability to make a living of their own on the pay from youth team work decreased considerably.

Interestingly enough, the income from jobs in fast-food services in the USA, a source of job-creation mentioned in most USA - Europę comparisons, has the same effects for the young people employed as the earnings from half-time youth team work in Sweden: youth cannot make an independent liv-ing on these earnings.

Compared with the average population, the income development in the age-group 16-19 was 35* lower in Sweden in the period 1980-1984. Young people increasingly depend on the support of parents and relatives and cannot afford to establish their own household as they used to do during the 1970s. In addition. the young people are well aware that a placement in a youth team job does not mean real employment. As negotiated with the labour unions, youth team jobs should not interfere with the normal labour market and the hiring of ordinary staff in public services or private indus-try. In reality, youth team work does replace jobs, but due to the limita-tions of budget there is no chance to hire morę staff in most public services anyhow.

Psychologically, the awareness of the intermediate role of the youth team work becomes an obstacle, especially for young people who do their job well and are highly integrated in the informal relationship with the regular staff. Irrespective of their own performance and the reactions among their work-mates, they have to leave their positions when there is a vacancy somewhere else or if they reach the age-ceiling of 20. (Hofren et al.. 1986)