Being NEET in Turkey in case of Balıkesir

In recent years, it has been observed that the weight of sectors with high technology and information content in economic activities has increased on a global scale. It is understood that due to this increase, the need for manpower decreases and the potential of new business areas to create employment capacity decreases. This situation negatively affects the labor force participation of individuals, especially young people, in both developed countries and developing countries such as Turkey, where production systems are in technological transformation. At this point, the rate of the young population not taking part in education, employment or training (Not in Education, Employment, or Training – NEET) stands out as an alternative indicator of the distribution and development performances of economies. While the increase in the NEET rate is essentially an economic problem, it is also a phenomenon that needs to be examined in detail in terms of its social effects. The concept of NEET is an issue that needs to be emphasized socially, as it refers to young people who do not or cannot participate in the workforce, whose education processes have been interrupted, and who find themselves useless and worthless. The concept of NEET dates back to the 20th century. It is understood that it emerged in England in the late 1990s, and in the following period it started to be seen in developed and developing countries all over the world, and over time it started to become a structural problem. It is understood that the concept entered the literature in Turkey in 2020 and efforts are being made to determine its scope. In this regard, the scope of NEET must be determined in the broadest framework and who falls within the definition of NEET must be stated accurately. According to the results of the literature review; It is seen that the number of studies on the subject that entered the literature between 2015 and 2023 is approximately five times the number of studies published from the day the subject first entered the literature until 2015. In this context, it is understood that the importance given to NEET worldwide is increasing day by day. The economic uncertainties and crises experienced around the world in recent years have begun to make the concept of youth unemployment a more dangerous threat and problem in almost all of the world. There is almost no evidence that high unemployment rates will fall quickly or easily. On the contrary, current data show that, in addition to the effects of recession and fiscal constraints on the national budgets of states, youth unemployment, combined with rigid labor market structures, is turning into a more complex problem. Many young people with NEET status are not only excluded from the labor market, but also face the risk of social exclusion. The social effects of unemployment, when compared to macroeconomic costs, pave the way for major socio-cultural problems for states. Damage to the social structure, the existence of systemic risks and the loss of an environment of trust may lead to discouragement, cultural degeneration, decrease in political participation and even alienation from democratic values, especially among young people. Delays or failures that countries will experience in implementing basic labor market reforms indicate that the problems to be encountered will turn into structural problems that are likely to spread throughout the world. In this thesis study, firstly, determining the factors affecting the NEET rate; afterwards, it is aimed to analyze the obtained factors and develop policy recommendations to reduce the NEET rate. For this purpose, national and international data sources such as Turkish Statistical Institute (TURKSTAT), European Statistical Community (EUROSTAT), International Labor Organization (ILO), Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) were scanned and various population and labor statistics and surveys/surveys on this subject were scanned. By evaluating the research data together, a survey scale on the subject was prepared. Empirical questions appropriate to the scale to be prepared, demographic questions that would shed light on the detection of the problem related to the subject, and a face-to-face survey were applied within the framework of the sample determined. It is thought that the findings obtained in this way will contribute to clearly presenting the concept and obtaining generally valid inferences. The findings obtained show great similarities and overlap with previous studies presented in the literature. Based on demographic findings both in the study and in the international literature, it is understood that women are more at risk than men and that young people with NEET status prefer to remain idle or take on family care responsibilities rather than working for low wages. In order to solve and prevent the NEET problem, it is seen that various policies have been developed, especially in European countries, to return NEET young people to education or to ensure their participation in employment, and incentives and sanctions have been put into effect by the relevant EU commissions for the implementation of the policies. In this context, in Turkey, Turkish Employment Agency and Ministry of Labor and Social Security organized workshops and created a road map on the subject and started policy development studies. Key Words: Youth Unemployment, NEET, Struggle with Youth Unemployment, Employment Strategy Jel Codes: J21, J64, E24.