Abstract:

The youth unemployment has reached new all-time high and this is becoming a structural problem. Our young, educated and full of energy young people are not motivated to engage in a career. We expect innovative solutions, but the working environment is a matter that fades away in front of the financial benefits, much discussed and regulated. This article intends to raise awareness on the fact that financial benefits are necessary, but not sufficient. Our labour system based mainly on monetary incentives will default in front of financial crisis and will not be good enough in prosperous times either. This is because when they receive no money, people will stop working. And when they receive much money, they will also stop working. For an innovative economy, like the one aimed at by the Lisbon Strategy and the Europe 2020, we need a suitable working environment, one which can make people enthusiastic about their work. Nevertheless, enthusiasm can not be forced, bought or tricked, it has to be attracted, created and cherished. This thought paper will underline that we need to concentrate less on the financial benefits and more on other factors influencing the working motivation if we are to create an innovative, knowledge- based society with a healthy life style.