This research aims to advance knowledge on the causes, processes, and perspectives for change related to the social and political exclusion of unemployed youth. It has three main objectives: (1) to generate a new body of data on young unemployed (in particular, young long-term unemployed), but also precarious youth; (2) to advance theory and extend knowledge on the social and political exclusion of young unemployed; and (3) to provide practical insights into the potential paths for the social and political integration of young unemployed. The overall design of the research has three main components: (1) a multidimensional theoretical framework that combines macro-level, meso-level, and micro-level explanatory factors while taking into account various dimensions of exclusion (social and political exclusion, individual well-being); (2) a cross-national comparative design that includes European countries with different institutional approaches to unemployment (France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Sweden, and Switzerland); (3) an integrated methodological approach based on multiple sources and methods (analysis of state and EU policies and practices towards unemployment, a survey of organizations active in the field, a survey of young long-term unemployed and precarious youth, in-depth interviews with young long-term unemployed, and focus groups with stakeholders). Three important features of the proposed research underscore its innovative impact: (1) its comparative approach allowing for bench-marking and best-practice analysis; (2) its multidimensional approach allowing to consider the mediating impact of (European, national, or local) public policy on the way people cope with their situation of unemployed; (3) its interactive research process spurring policy-learning by bringing together different expertise and knowledge, and allowing at the same time for the transfer of scientific findings into policy recommendations.