Youth unemployment and economic growth

Assignment Brief

Seminar 8: NUMUN – Northumbria University Model United Nations

Youth unemployment and economic growth

COMPONENT 2 of your portfolio

Week 8 

The key to success for your participation in the NUMUN discussion is twofold:

• rigorous and meticulous preparation;
• the competence and capability of its attending delegates.

Seminar Objectives

• To learn about the United Nation’s role in the world and its processes of addressing issues of global importance.
• To build an understanding of global challenges that crosses borders of background, culture and nationality.
• To build an understanding of how governments and businesses can contribute to reduction of youth unemployment in different countries.
• To develop debating, presentation and negotiation skills.

Preparation for Seminar

• You should have already been assigned a country in the Seminar 7 session.
• You are becoming a delegate of this country, presenting its position during the NUMUN discussion and you are requested to produce a position paper.
• Do research on the assigned country.
• Write a position paper discussing the situation of the youth labour market in ‘your’ country.

Please, use the following guiding questions to inform your research and to structure the position paper:

What is the current situation of the youth labour market in ‘your’ country?

What are the sources/causes of youth unemployment in ‘your’ country?

What are the consequences of youth unemployment in ‘your’ country?

What can government and business do to address youth unemployment in ‘your’ country?

Position Paper 

• Write a 700-word position paper summarising the position of ‘your’ country on youth unemployment and economic growth. This word count includes in-text references but excludes the reference list.

• A ‘Position Paper’ should be clear, concise and backed up by facts and figures.

• A ‘Position Paper’ literally communicates the position of a country on a particular topic. A ‘Position Paper’ should not simply describe the issue but discuss the country’s position on the issue (as shown in the example of a position paper below).

• A ‘Position Paper’ should be done on the basis of your own research undertaken using a variety of sources: academic journals, official documents, websites and relevant books. It would be useful to search through the databases of the UN and familiarise yourself with resolutions the country, you are representing, voted in favour and which against. You have to look in the current news what actions the country is taking.

• A ‘Position paper’ is an academic piece of work which should be written according to academic standards (in terms of style, resources used, structure and referencing). You should use a minimum of 7 references from the relevant sources. All references in your position paper should be done in the APA 6^th style.

• Figures, charts and tables are ONLY allowed to be used in the portfolio’s appendices.

• One page appendix is allowed per each position paper. If you are using an appendix for your position paper, it should follow after your reference list. 

• Note: You can submit your draft of the position paper on youth unemployment and economic growth to ‘DRAFT’ Turnitin Folder on eLP. You can have access to the Originality Report for the revision purposes. Please bear in mind that sometimes it requires 24 hours for the system to produce a report.

Sample Answer

France on Youth Unemployment and Economic Growth

Introduction

Youth unemployment has been a persistent challenge for France and poses a serious obstacle to economic growth and social stability. High levels of joblessness among young people reduce productivity, weaken consumer demand, and increase government spending on welfare, while also creating risks of social exclusion. This position paper outlines France’s perspective on the issue, highlighting the current situation, structural causes, and the policies that France supports both domestically and internationally to reduce youth unemployment and promote inclusive economic growth.

Current Situation

France has long struggled with youth unemployment rates that are higher than the European Union average. According to Eurostat (2024), the youth unemployment rate in France was around 17%, compared with the EU average of 14%. This figure, although lower than during the 2008–2013 financial crisis, remains concerning given that overall unemployment in France is around 7%. The disparity reflects a structural weakness in integrating young people into the labour market.

Youth unemployment is also uneven across regions. Rural and suburban areas face fewer employment opportunities compared with major cities such as Paris, Lyon, or Toulouse. Moreover, young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and minority ethnic groups are disproportionately affected, showing the intersection between social inequality and employment outcomes.

Causes of Youth Unemployment

The causes of high youth unemployment in France are both structural and cyclical.

First, the education-to-employment transition is weak. Many employers in France demand previous work experience, but entry-level opportunities are limited, leading to a cycle where young people cannot gain jobs without experience and cannot acquire experience without jobs (OECD, 2023).

Second, labour market rigidity plays a role. France’s labour laws provide strong protection for permanent workers, but employers are hesitant to hire young workers into long-term contracts. Instead, they often rely on short-term contracts (contrats à durée déterminée), which offer little stability and make it difficult for young people to build careers.

Continued...