- An upper secondary qualification (ISCED 3) has become the norm for young people in OECD countries. Today it is considered the minimum qualification for successful participation in the labour market and for integration in society.
- In 2010, across OECD countries, 19.1% of 25-34 year-olds without an upper secondary qualification were unemployed, compared with 9.8% of young adults of the same age who had an upper secondary qualification.
- From 2004 to 2008, increasing upper secondary graduation rates coincided with declining numbers of 20-24 year-olds who were neither in education nor employed; but during the economic crisis, an upper secondary qualification no longer provided sufficient insurance against unemployment and poverty.
