The share of NEETs (a person who is no longer in the education system and who is not working or being trained for work) among young people of school age (15-18 years) is just under 11%, and among older people (between 19 and 24 years) it reaches 28%. This, recalculated to the general population of 15-24 year olds, means that there are a total of 167,670 young people on the site who are not employed and do not participate in any form of training. 26,650 of them are aged 15-18 and 141,020 – between 19 and 24

The young people in the NEETs group are supported by a clear socio- demographic profile. The majority have secondary or lower education, live especially in small settlements, more than half belong to the minority ethnic groups.

Education is the socio-demographic characteristic that determines to the greatest extent the inclusion or non-inclusion among NEETs. The group includes both persons with all educational degrees and those without education. Essential however, the share of early school leavers is 47%. The structure of NEETs by ethnicity is dominated by Roma and Turkish ethnic groups (51%), 46% are Bulgarians. Ethnicity can be defined as a second risk factor for falling into the group of NEETs. The Roma are 4 times and the Turks – 2 times more at risk of NEETs compared to ethnic Bulgarians.

Prerequisites for joining NEETs

NEETs are a heterogeneous group that is formed both under the influence of socio-demographic characteristics and under the influence of various other factors /prerequisites. The complex interaction of factors of institutional, systemic and individual nature increases the risk of joining NEETs.

The studies allow to identify four major areas, contributing for the formation of

the group of NEETs:

1. Family, social environment and Lifestyle
2. Education
3. Qualification and experience, behavior on the labor market
4. Motivation