Resolution: Time to Act: More Quality Employment!
The economic and financial crisis has had a significant negative effect on the people of Europe, but young people have been hardest hit1 . In January 2015, the youth unemployment rate was 21.2% in the EU28 and 22.9% in the euro area2 . These figures have been worsened by austerity measures meant for fiscal consolidation as a result of the crisis. Cuts to public budgets, especially to education, greater flexibility of employment protection regulation and age-based cuts to minimum wages and unemployment benefits, have all contributed to elevating young people’s risk of falling into poverty and social exclusion. We recognise that in disadvantaged neighbourhoods the situation is even more difficult for young people, often being the second or third generation without work (meaning that their precariousness existed before the economic crisis). The consequences of the current development have an impact on the individual as well as the whole society.
Related publications
Workers’ Rights for the 21st Century
This paper makes the case for a new settlement of workers rights that no longer privileges certain segments of the labour market, but provides the same safety net and benefits for all, from day one on the job.
Always on standby: How precarious work impacts young people’s mental health
Precarious work is not inevitable; rather, it is a result of political decisions and can therefore be mitigated and ultimately eliminated. This paper outlines actionable steps at both the national and EU level to address the issue, paving the way for a better relationship between mental health and the world of work for young people.
European Youth Forum’s proposals for the Council Recommendation on Minimum Income
The European Youth Forum welcomes the commitment of the Commission to propose a Council Recommendation on minimum income for adoption in 2022, to further implement Principle 14 of the European Pillar of Social Rights.