People and businesses in the EU can only thrive if the economy works for them. A strong Social Europe is the foundation of prosperity and well-being, and a competitive and fair economy. Skilled workers, capable of leveraging innovation and adapting to the clean and digital transitions, are key to this.
In the last four years, the European Union has faced unprecedented challenges that have profoundly impacted our jobs, education, economy, welfare systems and social life, and amplified obstacles and inequalities. Despite successive socio-economic shocks, the EU has remained resilient, with record-low unemployment rates and increasing employment, thanks to decisive action by the EU and its Member States.
The European Union is building an economy that is fair, inclusive, offers opportunities, and responds to the needs of all EU citizens.
The European Pillar of Social Rights builds on 20 key principles and rights that are essential for ensuring fairer and better functioning labour markets and welfare systems. Its Action Plan, presented in 2021, has been our guide to turn these principles into concrete actions that benefit citizens. It focuses on:
In order to continue achieving concrete and lasting results that will benefit all across the EU, the Commission has set out three key headline targets for 2030:
Employment at least 78% of the population aged 20 to 64 should be in employment at least 60% of all adults should be participating in training every year 15 million Reducing poverty a reduction of at least 15 million in the number of people at risk of poverty or social exclusionThe leaders of the EU countries and governments committed to these three targets at the 2021 Porto Social Summit. Each EU country has presented its national contribution to achieve them.
The clean and digital transitions are driving new skill demands in Europe. For example, the clean transition is creating new jobs in the EU in sectors like wind and solar energy, electric vehicles, and heat pumps.
Having a workforce with in-demand skills is important for long-term sustainable growth and competitiveness.
of jobs in the future will require digital skills of European workers are contributing to the clean transition Around €65 billion of EU funds are invested in trainingDespite this, labour shortages and skills gaps remain a concern. Shortages are particularly prevalent in construction, healthcare, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Women are under-represented in tech-related professions and studies, with only 1 in 5 ICT specialists and 1 in 3 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates being women.
To tackle these shortages and support the clean and digital transitions, 2023 was designated the European Year of Skills. This is empowering the workforce and society by addressing skills gaps in the European Union and boosting the EU skills agenda. It is also helping people get the right skills for quality jobs and support companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in addressing skill shortages.
A key deliverable of the European Year of Skills is the action plan to tackle labour and skills shortages, presented by the Commission in March 2024. The plan sets out key measures in five areas of action that the EU, Member States, and social partners should take in the short and medium term.
In February 2019, Renata decided to completely change her life. After 13 years in a role where promotion was not an option, she left to pursue a new career: “I wanted to become a healthcare worker; however, with my background in economy, I thought it was too late to change my career path”.
Despite her initial doubts, she enrolled in the Social and Community Care Traineeship programme, which provided job-specific training. During her training, she completed a work placement at St. James’s Hospital in Dublin and was offered her dream job, using her new skills and knowledge.
The right to training and lifelong learning should be a reality for everyone across Europe, from cities to remote and rural areas. Businesses need workers with the skills required to master the clean and digital transitions, and people need to be able to get the right education and training to thrive in life.
To address the skills and education requirements, the Commission has introduced the:
Young people often struggle to find their first job. The EU helps young people secure quality jobs through funding and initiatives including the reinforced Youth Guarantee, under the Youth Employment Support package. Since 2013, around 50 million young people in Youth Guarantee programmes have secured jobs, apprenticeships, traineeships, and continued education and training.
The global pandemic took a heavy toll on people, our society, and our economy. Through economic emergency measures and initiatives to help workers and employers during the COVID-19 crisis, the Commission took immediate action and mobilised EU funding. The Commission set up the European instrument for temporary Support to mitigate Unemployment Risks in an Emergency (SURE) to help Member States protect jobs and businesses, and support citizens against the risk of unemployment and loss of income.
