France and Germany are two polar cases in the European debate about rising youth unemployment. Similar to what can be observed in Southern European countries, a "lost generation" may arise in France. In stark contrast, youth unemployment has been on continuous decline in Germany for many years,...

Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- On edge : (un)employment and the bad reputation of Limoges's outer city -- Longing for yesterday : the social uses of nostalgia in a climate of job insecurity -- Jobs for at-risk youth : state intervention, solidarite, and the fight against exclusion -- Burning...