Temporary contracts cause insecurity

The future prospects of young people is often uncertain because of temporary contracts. Because employers want more temporary employees, many young people do not have the security they want.

The situation of the youth in the Netherlands is not so bad. Nevertheless, policy makers should be aware of the problem, writes Sonja Bekker, a ReflecT researcher at Tilburg University. There is a disproportionate emphasis on education, but the issue of temporary contracts is often more problematic.

The report Empoyment and Social Developments in Europe 2011 by European Commission shows that in 2010 sixty percent of the Dutch youth (up to 35 years old) were employed only on temporary contracts. One third of the Dutch youth with such a temporary contract did not sign a long0term contract. Therefore, they are still uncertain about their future and postpone any investments.
Precisely these older youth, between 25 and 35 years old, do not receive enough attention.