Jóvenes NiNi en Ecuador: Un análisis de sus características principales, heterogeneidades y transiciones en las principales ciudades

Abstract

The NEET phenomenon (young people who neither study nor work) represents a global challenge that especially affects Latin America, including Ecuador, where 19.8% of young people between 15 and 29 years of age belong to this group. This article analyzes the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics that affect this group, as well as the existing internal heterogeneities, since the literature defines three subgroups: Active (in search of employment), Inactive (economically inactive) and Pure (without activity or search). For this purpose, data from the National Survey of Employment, Unemployment and Underemployment (ENEMDU) for the period 2007-2023 were used, together with the application of binary and multiple choice econometric models, corrected by selective truncation using the Heckman method, to differentiate the NEET’s subgroups. It was concluded that low-income women with less education are more likely to belong to this group, with a higher incidence in urban areas and among vulnerable groups such as Afro- Ecuadorians; additionally, this probability is reduced when residing in provincial capitals, while receiving the Bono de Desarrollo Humano (BDH) increases it. Regarding the subcategories, it is evident that the Inactive is composed of indigenous and married women, mainly exercising domestic roles, while the Active is characterized by single men who generally face barriers in the labor market and educational system.