In the context of its 2011 work programme, Eurofound has explored the situation of young people who are part of the NEET group: ‘not in employment, education or training’. The research was carried out by Eurofound’s Employment and Competitiveness unit, using the capacity of the Network of European Observatories. The aim was to investigate the current situation of young people in Europe, focusing specifically on those who are not in employment, education or training, and to understand the economic and social consequences of their disengagement from the labour market and education. The preliminary results of the research are presented in this short document.