From Education to the Labor Market in Lithuania: The Role of Youth and Parental Education

Abstract

This article examines how the education of youth and parents influences the transition of youth from schooling to the labor market. I use a representative survey of youth aged 16 to 29 ( N = 1,590) in Lithuania in 2013 to create an analysis that yields estimates of the influence of family education on factors such as youth employment, obstacles to finding a first job, and difficulties in the first job. My hypothesis that youth from families with less education have greater difficulties in the labor market transition was confirmed. My hypothesis that the higher the parents’ education, the easier it is for young people to adapt in the first workplace was also confirmed. Results also reveal that lower parental education means that their children lacked general workplace competencies, had less-decent working conditions, and faced other difficulties in the labor market.