Brussels, 16/01/2012 (Agence Europe) - Employment levels among young people have fallen sharply across the European Union since 2007, with differences among countries becoming more clear-cut from 2010: the deterioration in the situation is worst in Ireland, Spain and Greece, and only in Germany has there been any improvement, according to a study published by French economic and social research institute Ires on Monday 16 January. On average, a one point drop in gross domestic product (GDP) “is accompanied by a 5.9% reduction in youth employment, compared with a fall of 0.7% in employment as a whole, between 2007 and 2010”, Ires says. In the countries where levels of unemployment among young people are already higher, such as Spain where there was a 32% youth unemployment level in the second quarter of 2011 (an increase of 18.5% between 2007 and 2010), new heights are being reached. Even countries which traditionally are less affected, such as Denmark and the Netherlands, are experiencing a worsening of the situation for young people. In France, Bulgaria, Romania and Poland, the impact was felt later, from 2010. In France, the level of unemployment among the under-25s reached 21.6% in the third quarter of 2011. (JK/transl.rt)