The main problems of Madrid's youth: housing and employment

Raul Garcia Hemonnet

The main problems of the youth of the Community of Madrid are housing and finding a job. This is one of the main conclusions of the report coordinated by the researcher and professor in the area of ​​Political Science and Administration at the URJC, Javier Lorente. Regarding these two aspects, explains Lorente, who from the report 'Madrid youth 2023', published last week, one could extract that “young people have demands on the table that are not being heard. They identify problems, they do not know the solutions and they do not feel listened to by the institutions.” Lorente adds that the report reveals that “housing and employment policies are the worst valued by young people in the Community of Madrid.”

More tolerant towards immigration and gender issues

Today's young people are, according to the report, more tolerant towards immigration and gender issues than previous generations. According to Javier Lorente, “in terms of gender there is a significant gap between girls and boys, girls are much more tolerant, boys less so.”

Regarding politics and identity, the new generations in Madrid tend to identify more with Europe than with Spain. On the other hand, young people in the community of Madrid “have a lower preference for democracy as a political system than on previous occasions, this is worrying because it can lead to justifying phenomena such as political violence,” explains Lorente. In what has to do with political participation, they would be more activists compared to those from other parts of Spain. This can be explained by the fact that Madrid concentrates most of the demonstrations.

Boys drink more, although the margin is narrowing

Regarding alcohol and tobacco consumption, women continue to consume less, but in young people this gap narrows. The report argues that we must work to raise greater awareness of this issue.

Interuniversity and multidisciplinary work

Along with Javier Lorente, Professor Irene Sánchez Vítores from the URJC and professors from the UC3M of the European University and the UAH also participated in the Report. The team led by the URJC was chosen after the Madrid Youth Council contacted two other research groups.