Integration of the long-term unemployed into the labour market - Main contents

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 67/1

The unemployment rate in the Union increased to a historically high level following the 2008-2009 financial and economic crisis. It is currently decreasing, but long-term unemployment remains very high. Long-term unemployment affects each Member State to a different extent, particularly as the impact of the crisis has been uneven and the macroeconomic situation, economic structure and functioning of the labour market vary from one Member State to another.

After years of subdued growth and low job-creation, in 2014 long-term unemployment, defined by Eurostat as the number of people who are out of work and have been actively seeking employment for at least a year, affected more than 12 million workers, or 5 % of the active Union population, 62 % of whom had been jobless for at least two consecutive years.

Long-term unemployment is affecting the persons concerned, lowering the potential growth of Union economies, increasing the risk of social exclusion, poverty and inequality, and adding to the costs of social services and public finances. Long-term unemployment leads to a loss of income, an erosion of skills, a higher incidence of health problems and increased household poverty.

Among the most vulnerable to long-term unemployment are people with low skills or qualifications, third-country nationals, persons with disabilities and disadvantaged minorities such as the Roma. A person's previous occupation also plays an important role, as in some countries sectoral and cyclical aspects are key in explaining the persistence of long-term unemployment.

Every year, close to a fifth of the long-term unemployed persons in the Union become discouraged and fall into inactivity as a result of unsuccessful job-search efforts. As the barriers to labour-market integration are diverse and often cumulate, labour-market integration requires a tailor-made, individualised approach and coordinated service provision.

The long-term unemployed make up half of the total number of unemployed persons in the Union but account for less than a fifth of participants in active labour market measures. Correspondingly, a low proportion of the long-term unemployed (on average 24 %) are covered by unemployment benefits.

Investment in human capital should be improved and made more efficient with the aim of equipping more people with good and relevant skills and competences, addressing skill shortages and laying the foundation for a smooth transition from learning to work and for continued employability. Improving the performance and relevance of education and training systems will help to reduce the number of newly unemployed persons. To this end, the modernisation of education and training systems should be pursued in line with the European Semester, the Council Conclusions of 12 May 2009 on a Strategic Framework for European Cooperation in Education and Training (ET 2020) (1) and Recommendation 2006/962/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 on key competences for lifelong learning (2).

With a view to developing a coordinated strategy for employment, the 2015 Guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States (3) call for long-term and structural unemployment to be significantly reduced by means of comprehensive and mutually...