A Comparative Analysis Regarding the Social, Educational & Professional Profile of Younger & Older Unemployed Persons from Western Region of Romania
A Comparative Analysis Regarding the Social, Educational & Professional Profile of Younger & Older Unemployed Persons from Western Region of Romania

Summary/Abstract: The topic of youth unemployment is currently on all European states’ agenda, raising a great interest among researchers and policymakers, because of its extent and long-term effect on society. But youth is not the only vulnerable category among the unemployed persons – statistical data show that older unemployed (persons over 45 years) also face a lot of difficulties when trying to access a job. The article focuses on a comparative analysis between the profile of the two groups (young unemployed and older unemployed), identifying the similarities and differences between them, in order to support the elaboration of more adapted policies, that could offer a better response to their specific needs. 314 young and 278 older unemployed persons from Timis and Arad counties (Western Region of Romania) participated in the research. The results show that the most significant differences between the two groups consist in two main areas: (1) the general skills that could facilitate a quicker professional insertion (foreign languages and computer operating skills); and (2) previous work experience. Thus, while most of the young unemployed have at least an average level of knowledge of a foreign language and computer operating skills, they lack previous work experience. For the unemployed persons over 45 years, the situation is reversed: most of them have a significant previous work experience, but register a high deficit in computer operating skills and knowledge of a foreign language. The implications of these findings for better adapted policies, that could answer specifically to the needs of each group, are also discussed in the closing section.

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