Labour incorporation of young Southern European graduates in Mexico: the impact of the economic crisis

The 2008 economic crisis has had particularly negative effects on the youth labour market outcomes in Southern Europe. Thus, it is hardly surprising that many Southern European youngsters see migration as the only way to escape from under-employment and precariousness. In this context, the article s...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of youth studies 2020-09, Vol.23 (8), p.959-973
Main Authors: Mendoza, Cristóbal, Ortiz, Anna, Oliveras, Xavier
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Economic crisis
Emigration
Employment
Incorporation
International migration
Labor market
Labor migration
labour incorporation
Mexico
Southern Europe
young graduates
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The 2008 economic crisis has had particularly negative effects on the youth labour market outcomes in Southern Europe. Thus, it is hardly surprising that many Southern European youngsters see migration as the only way to escape from under-employment and precariousness. In this context, the article studies the reasons for emigration to Mexico of a group of young graduates from Italy and Spain. The paper is based on 42 in-depth semi-structured interviews with young graduates, aged 29 years old or less on their arrival in Mexico. The article first explores the relevance of the economic crisis as the main reason behind the migration of this group. It is revealed that the interviewed graduates had a precarious labour incorporation back in their countries of origin, and migration appeared as a means to further their careers. Second, the paper analyses the interviewees' labour incorporation in Mexico; in many cases this coincides with an extended university-work transition, since many of them had not secured full-time permanent jobs before their arrival in Mexico. Finally, the paper explores the interviewees' future plans. These depend not only on their work experiences in Mexico but also on their degree of social and cultural integration in the host country.
ISSN:1367-6261
1469-9680
DOI:10.1080/13676261.2019.1645948