Research
How Growing Up in Vulnerable Danish
Neighbourhoods Impacts Future Employment
Young people raised in Denmark’s most vulnerable neighbourhoods face unique challenges that can significantly affect their future employment opportunities and career success. How deep is the impact of their environment on their working life?
Does growing up in vulnerable Danish neighbourhoods influence young people's future employment status?
Research from the GHET-IN project highlights that while growing up in a socially vulnerable neighbourhood in Denmark increases the risk of not being in education or employment in early adulthood, family circumstances play a far more significant role for both Danish natives and immigrants. The research shows that family factors such as parental unemployment, income, and education levels are stronger predictors of youth employment outcomes than the neighbourhood environment experienced during adolescence.
Family and neighbourhood influences
The study, which followed nearly 400,000 young people from adolescence in 2009 to emerging adulthood in 2019 with the use of Danish nationwide register data, reveals that living in a vulnerable neighbourhood during adolescence does contribute to a higher risk of being unemployed or out of education by early adulthood. However, once family characteristics were accounted for, the influence of the neighbourhood itself diminished significantly, with family context explaining a significantly larger amount of the variation in employment status compared to the neighbourhood where the young people grew up.
Understanding vulnerable neighbourhoods
Vulnerable neighbourhoods in Denmark, often referred to as ‘ghettos’ in government policies, are non-profit housing areas characterized by high levels of unemployment and crime, and a significant concentration of immigrant residents, which for long has been the focus of political attention.
Previous studies from other countries have established links between living in vulnerable areas and worse social outcomes in adulthood. However, this research uniquely disentangles the effects of neighbourhood environments from those of family backgrounds with a specific focus on vulnerable neighbourhoods in Denmark, providing a clearer picture of what drives these inequalities. These findings not only enhance our understanding of social and spatial challenges but also carry significant weight for policymakers.
Policy implications: Focusing on families
The findings have important implications for policymakers who aim to improve opportunities for young people in vulnerable areas. While interventions focused on improving neighbourhood conditions remain valuable, the study suggests that targeting socioeconomically disadvantaged families may be even more effective in enhancing long-term employment outcomes for young people.
Efforts to support disadvantaged families, alongside neighbourhood-level interventions, are crucial for addressing the social and spatial inequalities that young natives and immigrants may face. By adopting a more holistic approach that considers both family and community contexts, we can better support the future life outcomes of young people growing up in vulnerable environments.
Source:
Jakobsen, A. L., Lund, R. L., Agerskov, A. L. R., Jensen, H. L., & Jørgensen, A. (2024). The long-term impact of Danish vulnerable neighbourhoods in adolescence on employment status in emerging adulthood. Population, Space and Place, e2829. https://doi.org/10.1002/psp.2829
