The European Parliament’s Employment committee welcomed the Commission’s proposal to improve services for long-term unemployed, also highlighting some of the shortfalls of the proposal. The Committee’s concerns are that a more decisive measure would have been preferrable, that individual needs assessments need to be elaborated much earlier than at 18 months of unemployment and that all actors, including NGOs, working with unemployed should work together.
Almost 2 out of 3 older job-seekers in long-term unemployment
The Commission has released a proposal in October to better integrate long-term unemployed into the labour market. According to current statistics, around 5 % of the EU active population is long-term unemployed. The problem is higher for older workers, as long-term unemployed constitute 63% all unemployed between 55 and 65, and many do not figure in the statistics as they do not declare themselves as unemployed.
Commission proposal: better services for long-term unemployment
The Commission proposed a resolution to the Council of ministers to increase services for long-term unemployed as a measure to address this situation. The proposal is to create a single point of contact to all benefits for long-term unemployed, which offers job-seekers an individual assessment of skills at the latest after 18 months of inactivity. The job-seekers then conclude an indivdualised reintegration plan with the agency.
AGE: Act earlier and improve access to training
AGE welcomes the proposal from the Commisison, however AGE is concerned that it is not sufficient to make a distinctive difference. Individual assessments should be conducted much before 18 months of unemployment, as the distance from the labour market grows with the time. Also, life-long learning facilities should be provided as well as in-work trainings for workers of all ages – often, these are no longer available for workers from a certain age, due to age discrimination. Long-term unemployment is a waste of skills and experience that could be used to benefit companies, younger workers and society as a whole.
More information:
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EP-EMPL report on the Commission proposal on long-term unemployment
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European Commission wants to improve the situation of long-term unemployed
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AGE calls for long-term unemployment policies to suppport all age groups
- AGE policy paper on the integration of long-term unemployed (Council’s recommendations)
For further information, please contact Philippe Seidel Leroy at the AGE Secretariat philippe.seidel@age-platform.eu
