It is difficult to track where school leavers are employed or what they do, which makes it hard to assess how many have a job, according to the Institute of Employment.
Research by the Scottish government shows the proportion of leavers entering employment has decreased three per cent in the year 2007-08.
Jim Hillage, director of research at the Institute for Employment Studies, said the current climate will make it difficult for school leavers to find employment.
"One of the difficult things with kids when they leave school is tracking where they actually end up or what they are doing, especially if they are from disadvantaged backgrounds or they leave home and are not in a stable home environment," he added.
According to the Trades Union Congress, the number of young people aged 18-24 unemployed for six months is rising more rapidly than in the general population.
