Youth underemployment a growing concern

A large number of young people in the Netherlands are working below their education level. In the third quarter of last year, about half of highly educated young people worked in positions generally filled by people with a medium- or low education, according to research done by statistics Netherlands. One in six young people with a mid-level education were overqualified for their jobs. This involves young people under the age of 25 who are no longer studying. The overqualified-for-their-job phenomenon is present in all directions of studies, but most prevalent in services, engineering, manufacturing and construction. The phenomenon disappears as people get older. From the age of 35 workers are less likely to be overqualified. But from this age group there is a notable difference between the genders. Women over the age of 35 are more likely to work below their education level than men. In the age group 35 and older, one in three highly educated women work in a position below her level, compared to one in four men. Statistics Netherlands attributes this to the fact that there are often kids involved when you reach the age of 35. In general women move over to part-time work after the birth of their first child. As a result women build up less work experience, reducing career opportunities. Most of the people below the age of 35 do not have any children.