Young People, Inequalities, and Precarity in the Labour Market

Examining how social inequalities shape young people's labour market experiences, this volume explores the relationships between employment conditions, social origins, territorial contexts, and social protection through a multidimensional perspective that considers the articulation of physical, social and symbolic spaces. Analysing variations in youth labour markets across Europe, Portugal serves as a case study and is situated within broader configurations of precarity and social inequality. Drawing on a large-scale survey and combining quantitative and qualitative analytical strategies, multiple dimensions of young people's experiences in the world of work are explored. It considers three key aspects: the predictive power of characteristics such as gender and social origin in determining labour market inequalities; the reproduction of these inequalities; and the reconstruction of social space, drawing on Pierre Bourdieu’s relational and multidimensional approach. A theoretical model of tensions and dualities that structure contemporary Portuguese society is proposed, building upon the multidimensional reconstruction of social space occupied by young people. Presenting an interdisciplinary discussion of inequalities and youth precarity, the work will interest scholars in sociology, social theory, political economy, economics, geography, and law. It may also appeal to trade unions, social movement activists, and policymakers.