The Vicious Cycle: Pessimism and Youth Unemployment in Southern Europe

Of the 15 countries with the highest youth unemployment rates in the world, eight are located in southern Europe. Of the top 14 countries with the highest rates of pessimism in the world, seven are located in southern Europe. It is no coincidence that Greece, Portugal, and four others fall into both categories. The widespread rocketing youth unemployment rates are having a noticeable effect on culture, art, and society; meanwhile, pessimism is perpetuating the economic crisis.

Spain, Italy, Greece, Portugal, and Croatia, just to name a few victims of the crisis, have all reached youth unemployment rates of close to 50 percent or more. These countries find themselves far above the EU’s average youth unemployment rate of 18.6 percent, and over the past 17 years their rates have been (and still are) growing. What caused this proliferation? Many nationals blame globalization, international trade, EU policies such as economic austerity, immigration, and the general economic crisis. Similarly to what is occurring in the US, those who blame globalization claim that it has encouraged the exploitation of inexpensive labor abroad, therefore reducing the employment opportunities locally. For example, since joining the EU, Spain has had to cut its fishing industry by 40 percent because of competition from cheaper, imported fish. Overall, the causes behind the intense economic crisis are difficult to pinpoint. However, it is clear that the crisis is undermining career prospects for the southern European youth.

Cyclical pessimism is evident from the preemptive habits arising to counteract expected career difficulties. Because young Greeks, Spaniards, and Italians believe they have no opportunities in their home countries, they prepare to deal with unemployment from a young age. Culture, music, and the city atmosphere encourage this behavior and exacerbate general pessimism and hopelessness for the future. For example, because young southern Europeans are desperate, employers exploit their free labor. Young graduates accept never-ending unpaid internships with the hope of gaining the necessary skills to finally land a paid job. However, the job never comes. Clearly, as this development becomes increasingly more frequent, pessimism regarding job prospects increases. At the same time, recent graduates are more hesitant to start internships knowing that they might end up with nothing.

A study conducted by Gallup in which people were asked to rate their future lives either as better or as worse than their current ones found that Europeans were the most pessimistic group in the study, which included 141 countries in Asia, North America, Africa, Europe, and Australia. Southern and eastern European countries were “in particular” more pessimistic. Gallup theorizes that this correlation may be linked to the economic crisis. Though it’s hard to establish causation, a majority of the youth is out of work (including many university graduates) and those affected feel unaccomplished and pessimistic about their futures. Meanwhile, witnesses (including high school students, university students, the elderly, and parents) change their lifestyles to accommodate for the negative prospects. For example, high school students may choose to study in a foreign country, university students may look for jobs elsewhere, and parents and elderly have to sustain the unemployed youth through housing and money. While people find ways to cope with this reality individually, it’s difficult to find solutions to the economic foundations of this cycle.

Northern European countries (with much lower youth unemployment rates) do not even appear on Gallup’s list. Since the youth have reliable and realistic job prospects, the pessimism that is arising in southern Europe is not an issue. An International Labor Organization report claims that “increased crime rates in some countries, increased drug use, moving back home with the parents, [and] depression…are common consequences for a generation of youth that, at best, has become disheartened about the future, and, at worst, has become angry and violent.”

The pessimism is palpable the moment one steps into neighborhoods in Madrid, Rome, or Zagreb that are not populated by tourists. Speaking to some locals, one can sense their internal struggles. A popular slang phrase common among teenagers that has recently emerged in Italy — #mainagioia — can be literally translated into “never any happiness.” Complaining about or denigrating oneself, one’s country, and one’s opportunities has become an integral part of everyday conversations.

While unemployment was not previously a widespread issue, it has now affected longstanding cultural norms. Southern Europe was stereotyped for a long time as having a relaxed lifestyle. One example is the habit of a lunch break during the workday. In Italy, for example, there was (and still is sometimes) a break from around 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. This habit is slowly disappearing as people are more concerned about their salaries.

The evolution of popular music is yet another reflection of the effects of the youth unemployment rate on cultural norms. In recent years, there has been a growth in the popularity of rap music, which, historically, has been a means to lament political, economic, and social issues. In Italy, Greece, and Portugal, pop had been the most common music style among the younger generations until relatively recently. Now, rappers (such as Fedez and Emis Killa) are slowly replacing pop stars. Moreover, popular themes of these songs include suicide, justification of vandalism, complaints about politics and capitalism, hate towards elites and corruption, and a general sense of hopelessness for the future. In an Italian rap song by Fedez, called Si Scrive Schiavitu si legge Liberta, the phrases “questo mondo e una prigione con la cella un po piu grande” (this world is a prison with a slightly larger cell) and “ma questa e la mia nazione che pesa sulle mie scelte” (but this is my nation that weighs on my choices) are just two examples of the types of statements that young Italians feel represent their current state of mind. They believe their nation is what pushes them down. While this is a reflection of the contemporary state of mind in southern Europe, it has its own impact on the public. Negative songs are played in public spaces, parties, and shops. One could argue that an influx of pessimistic media may have negatively influenced cultural norms, feeding into the vicious cycle.

The city infrastructure is another emblem of cultural pessimism. An online publication explains that “Germany, Italy, Spain and many other European countries have a major problem due to the sheer scale of the graffiti.” The graffiti is not just a sign of widespread frustration. It is also used as a form of “sophisticated” protest of the economic and political problems. Artists have started to appropriate graffiti as a form of artistic expression. In Zagreb, for example, a piece of graffiti was renamed a “mural” and covers a main street, Branimirova. Although it has always been considered “illicit” and a form of “vandalism,” now it is artistically appreciated. Similarly, in Rome, an innovative addition to the city is now a large piece of graffiti spanning a large part of the Tiber river and depicting the history of the foundation of Rome. Similarly to rap, the advent of such a form of art displays the negativity which has infiltrated culture. This innovative form of art may appear as a positive development — a new way for young people to express themselves. Nevertheless, the very nature of graffiti implies a foundation of unsophistication, protest, and dissatisfaction.

The downward spiral has resulted in a search for other options and opportunities elsewhere. Due to the lack of opportunities at home, brain drain has become an integral part of the southern European culture. Parents send their children to English language schools from a very young age in order to prepare them for schools and jobs in other countries (frequently in northern Europe). A recent study by the University of Thessaloniki found that more than 120,000 professionals, including engineers, doctors, and scientists, left Greece between 2010 and 2013. Similarly, the number of emigrating Italians, most of whom were highly qualified graduates, rose by 30 percent between 2011 and 2012, with the highest increase in the age range of 20 to 40. In Spain, the number of locals who moved abroad rose by 114,000 in 2013 compared to the previous year. As unemployment rates rise, more people emigrate to look for jobs elsewhere. As more people emigrate, it slowly becomes a cultural norm to do so.

While globalization, EU policies, and other factors may directly contribute to high rates of youth unemployment, a vicious cycle that perpetuates the situation has installed itself in southern European culture and society. High youth unemployment causes widespread pessimism which, in turn, results in shifts in popular music, art styles, and cultural norms. These changes then prolong and worsen the situation by perpetuating cultural malaise.

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