A comprehensive review was undertaken of the serious problem of youth unemployment in the countries of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (most of the countries of Europe and the United States), and the means for dealing with it in the longer term. The study found that youth unemployment has been a major concern since the mid-1970s, rising with each downturn of the economy, and failing to recover with economic recovery. Today, unemployment for disadvantaged youth has increased, but so has unemployment among better-educated and better-trained young people, especially for those born in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Labor force participation rates for youth have dropped in nearly all the countries, especially among teenagers. Young women have experienced similar rates of unemployment as young men; however, causes are subtle and often relate to the types of jobs for which girls are trained. Nations should adapt policies to help youths find employment. One solution is economic growth, but even an annual growth of 4 percent will not solve the youth umemployment problem for about five years. Consequently, shorter-term policies, such as school or travel grants or government-sponsored jobs, are needed to help youth. Especially at risk are disabled youth, whose unemployment problem is even worse than that of the disadvantaged. Additionally, sex-fair educational practices should be started to help young women prepare for careers. Youth unemployment is a very serious problem that cannot be ignored by the countries of the OECD. The appendices consist of an article by L. C. Hunter (The Role of Labour Demand in Youth Employment and Unemployment) and an OECD committee report. (KC)