When we say that the economic and employment crisis is not over yet, we think about the largest challenge ahead of us: the issue of mass unemployment. In these times, executing exit strategies of recovery programmes would be contra productive. We have to implement measures that support employment in order to prevent an even quicker rise in unemployment: we need a European Entry Strategy into the Labour Market. This strategy should maintain and create new jobs, in order to sustain public finances and avoid increase in social exclusion and further decrease of growth prospects.
There are areas where, despite the crises, there is enormous potential for new job creation in Europe. Take the ICT industry, the high-tech sector, nano- and biotechnology, and other future sectors for example. There are also many employment opportunities in the health care sector and in social services, due to the ageing of society. The job potential in all those sectors is much bigger than the number of jobs we will have lost by the end of the crisis.
Workers need to be retrained and qualified to be able to take up the new jobs, which is at the heart of the European initiative “New Skills for New Jobs”. We believe this programme should be financed by public and private spending, to be coupled with a refocusing of the European Social Fund. The programme should provide tailor-made solutions to those who need a “knowledge lift” to get a new job or keep their existing one.
Job creation efforts however should not focus only on future sectors. Neither should they only provide opportunities for the best qualified and most experienced workers. Employment and economic policies should promote the principles of solidarity and equal access, so that all those who want and are able to work, have the opportunity to do so. To tackle the mismatch of labour supply and demand, diverse and tailored job creation approaches could be effective on the short term.
We have to ensure that workers’ rights to safety and a decent pay are respected. These social standards and goals should be supported among the EU’s partner countries as well; therefore the EU has to promote the implementation of the ILO Decent Work Agenda and the Global Employment Pact.
PES Positions
PES Discussion Paper on Entry Strategy into the Labour Market, October 2009