INTRODUCTION
A novel coronavirus known as COVID-19 was identified in China in the last days of 2019. In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that COVID-19 could be characterized as a pandemic. Since then, the pandemic has been the main item on the global agenda, with countries implementing immediate and multi-dimensional responses. By the end of September 2020, the pandemic has affected more than 34 million people and killed more than 1 million people over merely six months.1 Once the COVID-19 virus was declared as a pandemic threatening public health at a global scale, countries began to take drastic social and economic measures. Social mobility decreased, and the concept of social distancing and/or isolation became a critical concept to public life. A shift in lifestyles limited economic activity, resulting in a contraction of the global economy and closure of many businesses. Consequently, global unemployment rates increased dramatically. Unprecedented monetary expansion policies and financial incentives have been implemented to date to prevent the collapse of the global economy. Nevertheless, despite such extensive measures, working hours corresponding to 155 million full-time equivalent jobs were lost during the first quarter of 2020 globally, according to a recent ILO report.2 As in other countries, the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected the labour market in Turkey. Refugee communities who are among the most vulnerable segments of the population have been deeply affected. Similarly, NEETs have been hit by increased unemployment because of the pandemic. This study is unique in its attempt to identify the needs and expectations of NEET populations, both host and refugee, in the post-COVID era in Turkey. With an additional focus on gender gaps, the report hopes to contribute to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 8, Decent Work and Economic Growth to “promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all”.