During the Greek crisis, the high and rising youth unemployment rates have created severe concerns about the impact of the deep recession on human capital and social cohesion. However, even in previous times of significant economic growth, both youth unemployment ratio and other related employment indicators had been systematically worse compared to those of the general population, and even more so compared to other European countries. This article demonstrates how institutional and social factors influence youth employment performance, arguing that the youth unemployment problem in Greece has actually structural and persistent root causes. The article concludes with policy proposals towards changes both in labour market institutions and social attitudes.