Youth employment amid successive crises and the low-carbon transition: The case of Εurozone coal regions

Abstract

Over the last decade, the EU has entered a phase of transition to a low-carbon economy, which has led to a decline in the competitiveness of coal. Despite efforts to restructure their energy sectors, coal regions continue to struggle with the lingering effects of the 2008/09 Global Crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic, which affect their economies and decarbonisation trajectories. In this context, the paper examines the role of youth in the local labour regimes (LLRs) of Eurozone coal regions. Drawing on perspectives of Geographical Political Economy and Political Ecology, the transition from coal to renewable energy is conceptualised as a new socio-ecological fix, reflecting capitalist mechanisms seeking novel avenues for profiting while maintaining established power asymmetries and inequalities. The study employs a mixed methods approach to examine the exacerbated structural challenges faced by youth. Firstly, by analysing secondary macroeconomic, (youth) employment and demographic data, key differences between the LLRs of the coal regions of six Eurozone countries are highlighted. Secondly, a qualitative analysis of Western Macedonia in Greece, one of the most lagging coal regions, is carried out. The analysis is based on primary data collected in focus groups and interviews with key informants, energy workers and locals in the period 2021-2022. Findings suggest that uneven development, labour flexibilisation, and lack of economic diversification hinder the entry of young people into the labour market and contribute to their out-migration from coal regions, thus the latters' role in shaping the changing energy landscape remains marginal.