The increase in precarious work across Europe has caused considerable policy concern, particularly in relation to its effects on young people. Youth are especially vulnerable to precarity in the world of work. This proposed research seeks to deepen our understanding of the risks and effects of precarious work on young people in a longitudinal perspective. The focus is Germany and Switzerland, countries which share strong vocational education but are still exposed to precarity in various forms. Pinning down the effects of precarity is complicated by a lack of agreement about how to define it. In order to develop a comprehensive understanding of labour market vulnerabilities and their consequences in early work life and beyond, it is necessary to approach precarity as a multifaceted and complex phenomenon. Drawing on economic, pedagogical, psychological as well as sociological concepts, this research sets out to explore subjective and objective dimensions of precarity at labour market entry and in the consecutive employment career. The research employs a range of quantitative research methods, including multinomial regression analysis, dual domain latent growth curve models and propensity score matching techniques.