The share of youth classified as "inactive" within the economically inactive population has been growing in recent years; however, simple time-series statistics have limitations in identifying age-specific transition pathways and cohort-level characteristics. Accordingly, this study applies a dual analytical framework, encompassing the overall youth population (external/diffusion dimension) and the NEET population (internal/intensification dimension), and uses contour maps to analyze spatio-temporal changes. A scarring effect was identified: cohorts that entered the labor market during the pandemic continued to remain in the "inactive" state even as they aged. This finding highlights the need to move beyond aggregate measures such as simply raising employment rates, and instead implement targeted, tailored support policies that account for generational scarring and age-specific entrenchment patterns.