CPAG Analysis: The NEET Phenomenon in Romania — Structural Vulnerability Affecting Low-Educated Youth, Rural Residents, and Women

CPAG Analysis: The phenomenon of young people Not in Employment, Education or Training (NEET) in Romania reflects a structural vulnerability affecting low-educated youth, those from rural areas, and women in particular.

A new analysis published by Consilium Policy Advisors Group (CPAG), Transitioning Romanian Youth Between the Educational System and the Labour Market: A Comparative Analysis in the European Union Context, shows that Romania faces a severe structural problem in integrating young people into the labour market, and the NEET phenomenon is one of the clearest expressions of this vulnerability.

The report analyses how young people in Romania transition from education to employment and how our country positions itself in relation to the other European states. Romania does not merely have a youth employment insertion problem — it has a fragile transition model, marked by a rigid separation between education and work, persistent inactivity, and very difficult reintegration once a young person exits the system.

Romania records the highest NEET rate in the European Union: 19.4% of young people aged 15 to 29 are neither in education, employment, nor training — almost double the EU average of 11%. At the same time, Romania also has the lowest rate in the EU on the SELRATIO indicator, which measures the simultaneous participation of young people in formal education and the labour market. At just 1.2%, Romania stands far below the European average of 11.6%, showing that very few young people accumulate work experience before completing their studies.

In practical terms, 97% of young people in Romania who are in formal education have no labour market participation whatsoever, compared to 71.4% at EU level. This rigid separation reduces early exposure to work, delays the accumulation of experience, and weakens the entry into employment.

Who are Romania's NEET youth

The CPAG analysis shows that Romania's NEET population is not homogeneous. On the contrary, vulnerability is clearly concentrated around several structural profiles.

First, low educational attainment significantly increases the risk of exclusion. In Romania, 24% of young adults aged 25 to 34 have not completed upper secondary education — almost double the OECD average of 13%. At the same time, the tertiary education completion rate fell from 26% to 23% between 2019 and 2024. The situation is particularly severe among young women with minimal education: the NEET rate for this group rose from 28.8% in 2016 to 44.1% in 2024, while at European level the trend has been one of decline. This shows that early school leaving remains one of the strongest factors feeding the NEET phenomenon.

Second, geography matters decisively. Romania approaches European averages only in large cities. In small towns, suburban areas, and especially in rural settings, the gaps are very large. The NEET rate among rural women reaches 34.8% — 2.5 times above the EU average for the same category of 14.2%. At the same time, the employment rate of rural women stands at just 44%, compared to 65% at European level. These figures suggest that access to education, training, and jobs is strongly conditioned by territory. Regional differences are also significant. The South-East and Centre regions record the highest female NEET rates, at 37.7% and 32.7% respectively. Bucharest-Ilfov is the only region that approaches levels comparable to those in Europe.

Third, young women are disproportionately affected. They account for 63% of all NEET youth, with a NEET rate of 25.2% among women compared to 14.0% among men. The gap of 11.2 percentage points is more than five times the EU average of 2.1 percentage points. Trends in recent years also show a much slower reduction in the female NEET rate than in the male one, suggesting the existence of persistent structural barriers, including caregiving responsibilities and greater difficulties in accessing employment.

Why they remain outside the system

The report shows that the problem in Romania is not only youth unemployment, but above all inactivity. Of the total 19.4% NEET youth, approximately 14 percentage points represent inactive young people, while only 5.4 percentage points are unemployed youth actively seeking work. In other words, a large share of these young people are no longer connected to either the labour market or support systems.

This withdrawal is associated with discouragement, caregiving responsibilities, early marriage, and barriers to accessing real opportunities. Once out of the system, young people find it very difficult to return. Quarterly transition data show that only 1 in 100 inactive young people manages to find employment within a quarter, while for unemployed youth the rate is 8 in 100. These levels are among the lowest in Europe.

INSCOP data integrated into the report show that young people's perceptions of professional integration opportunities in Romania remain fragile. In this context, emigration appears for many as an economic alternative. 66.2% of young people believe that working abroad offers a better standard of living, and 27.6% say they intend to leave Romania in the next 12 months for work or studies.

The CPAG analysis shows that the NEET phenomenon in Romania is not a localised or cyclical problem, but a form of structural exclusion. The dominant vulnerability profile is clear: young women, low-educated individuals, young people from rural areas, small towns, or regions with limited opportunities. In many cases, the problem is not merely the difficulty of finding a job, but a gradual exit from any functional pathway of education, work, and training.

The CPAG analysis highlights that the public policy response must go beyond isolated measures and pursue a coherent approach that better links education, early work experience, and labour market entry. The report proposes five strategic intervention directions: flexibilising the educational system and developing learn–work pathways; stimulating labour demand for pupils and students through internships, apprenticeships, and entry-level positions; increasing the flexibility of the legislative framework for forms of work compatible with educational trajectories; targeted and differentiated interventions for NEET youth based on their profile and distance from the labour market; and the introduction of structured, compulsory career guidance starting earlier, supporting the development of transferable skills, professional flexibility, and long-term adaptability.

The report also highlights that interventions must be calibrated differently for the most vulnerable categories, in particular young women, low-educated youth, and those from rural or peri-urban areas. In these cases, employment policies must be complemented by integrated support measures, ranging from second-chance education and counselling to solutions that reduce territorial barriers to accessing work and training. In parallel, the analysis also highlights potential European funding directions that could support such measures within the EU's future multiannual financial framework.