Youth Education and Employment in Mexico City: A Mixed-Methods Analysis

Abstract

Research on young Mexicans tends to focus on their limited educational and occupational opportunities and the increasing extent to which they are not in education, employment, or training (NEET). In this article, we describe the prevalence and determinants of being NEET in Mexico City using data from the National Survey of Occupation and Employment and from forty in-depth interviews. Quantitative findings on the determinants of education and employment in this study are consistent with previous research. Barriers to education for those in NEET include low rates of admission to public universities, economic difficulties, family obligations, and difficulties connecting schooling and future employment. Barriers to employment include a lack of job opportunities, discrimination against inexperienced workers, and the undesirability of low-wage employment. Despite setbacks, respondents expressed a desire to attain education and gainful employment in the future, but many, especially the most educated, were willing to wait for the right university or job.