
Youth Unemployment and Devolution
Civil Society and Street-Level Responses
Sioned Pearce(Author)
Policy Press
1st Edition
Published on 24. July 2025
Book
Hardback
160 pages
978-1-4473-6435-1 (ISBN)
Description
Youth unemployment and work insecurity have been prevailing issues for governments across Western Europe since the 2008 financial crisis. These issues have intensified after Brexit and the pandemic, with young people consistently overrepresented in the gig economy and all forms of work insecurity.
Against a backdrop of increasingly mixed economies of welfare in the UK's liberal welfare regime and work first policy narrative, this book explores civil society responses to youth unemployment in England, Scotland and Wales. Using original, empirical research to challenge the privileging of methodological nationalism in the study of welfare regimes, it analyses the scale and nature of policy and civil society responses to youth unemployment and work insecurity between three nations of the UK from the perspectives of policy makers, strategic thinkers and case workers delivering to young people on the ground.
Against a backdrop of increasingly mixed economies of welfare in the UK's liberal welfare regime and work first policy narrative, this book explores civil society responses to youth unemployment in England, Scotland and Wales. Using original, empirical research to challenge the privileging of methodological nationalism in the study of welfare regimes, it analyses the scale and nature of policy and civil society responses to youth unemployment and work insecurity between three nations of the UK from the perspectives of policy makers, strategic thinkers and case workers delivering to young people on the ground.
Reviews / Votes
"A timely, empirically rich and insightful analysis of public policy and civil society responses to youth unemployment. A must-read for all interested in contemporary social welfare, the economy and societal well-being" Paul Chaney, Cardiff University "This book challenges welfare studies' methodological nationalism to offer a fine-grained, compelling analysis of how devolution and civil society shape employment opportunities for young people in England, Scotland and Wales." Simone Baglioni, University of ParmaMore details
Series
Edition
First Edition
Language
English
Place of publication
Bristol
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bristol University Press
Target group
College/higher education
Product notice
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Cloth over boards
Illustrations
2 s/w Tabellen, 2 s/w Abbildungen
2 Tables, black and white; 2 Illustrations, black and white
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 11 mm
Weight
404 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4473-6435-1 (9781447364351)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Book
approx. 01/2027
1st Edition
Bristol University Press
€42.50
Not yet published

E-Book
07/2025
1st Edition
Policy Press
€46.99
Available for download
Person
Sioned Pearce is Lecturer in Social Policy at the School of Social Sciences, Cardiff University.
Content
1. Youth unemployment, work insecurity and territorial rescaling
2. Youth policy, work and welfare
3. A decentralised, street-level approach to analysis
4. Devolved civil society approaches
5. Devolved civil society networks
6. Street-level, cross-jurisdictional perspectives
7. Ideologically driven, peripheral policy innovation
8. Conclusions
Appendix: Detail and history of youth employment policy in the UK, England, Scotland and Wales
2. Youth policy, work and welfare
3. A decentralised, street-level approach to analysis
4. Devolved civil society approaches
5. Devolved civil society networks
6. Street-level, cross-jurisdictional perspectives
7. Ideologically driven, peripheral policy innovation
8. Conclusions
Appendix: Detail and history of youth employment policy in the UK, England, Scotland and Wales