European Parliamentary Research Service Blog
employment policy
A new directive on work-life balance [EU Legislation in Progress][Policy podcast]
This proposed directive (complemented with non-legislative measures) should lead to the repeal of the existing Framework Agreement on Parental Leave, made binding by Council Directive 2010/18/EU (the Parental Leave Directive). Continue reading
Plenary round-up – Strasbourg, October II 2017
The highlights of the October II plenary session included a debate on the conclusions of the last European Council meeting and the presentation of a new agenda for EU leaders, as well as the presentation of the 2018 Commission work programme. Continue reading
How the Budget is spent: Youth Employment Initiative
The Youth Employment Initiative (YEI), with an initial financial envelope of €3.2 billion for 2014-2015, is the main EU funding programme of this political commitment. Its objective is the fight against youth unemployment in the worst-affected EU regions by supporting young people not in education, employment or training (NEETs) in regions with a youth unemployment rate above 25 %. Continue reading
Outcome of European Council meeting of 22-23 June 2017
Written by Ralf Drachenberg and Suzana Anghel, The main results of the European Council meeting of 22-23 June 2017 include the ‘historic step’ of agreeing to set up ‘permanent structured cooperation’ in European defence, the commitment to implement the Paris Agreement on climate change in all its aspects, and the extension of sanctions against Russia. … Continue reading
Outcome of European Council meeting of 9 March 2017 and of informal meeting of the EU27 of 10 March 2017
Written by Suzana Anghel and Ralf Drachenberg, After re-electing Donald Tusk as its President, the European Council meeting of 9 March 2017 discussed the economic situation in Europe, progress on measures regarding migration, internal and external security, and external relations. In his first speech to the European Council, the recently- elected President of the European … Continue reading
Employment policies in the EU [What Think Tanks are thinking]
Written by Marcin Grajewski, Policies to boost employment and support the poorest in society have come centre stage of the political debate after the great recession raised unemployment and poverty rates, exacerbated inequalities, and put pressure on social security and pension systems. As labour markets are being reformed, they are also being transformed by technological … Continue reading
Parental Leave Directive: Towards a revision? [Plenary podcast]
Written by Monika Kiss, In the European Union, parental leave is regulated by a 1996 Directive, last amended in 2013. The implementation of this Directive varies greatly among Member States and parental leave overlaps other types of leaves granted to families. The European Parliament is expected to call for an evaluation of its implementation and … Continue reading
Trends in female employment
Written by Monika Kiss Statistics and research results show that over the past decade, despite the economic and financial downturn, the EU’s labour market has witnessed an increase in women’s employment rates. Women’s employment seems to be more resilient to the economic crisis then men’s. This is partly due to long-term developments and institutional framework … Continue reading
The minimum wage: A motor for growth or a brake on the economy?
Written by Cemal Karakas Setting minimum wages are a direct way for governments to influence wage levels. Even though they are one of the most analysed and debated topics in economics, their impact on (un-)employment, growth and poverty remains ambiguous. For some experts, the rise of minimum wages will lead to job losses, as it … Continue reading
EP’s last plenary session: heating up for the summer
Written by Tessa Tumbrägel Parliament is gearing up for the last plenary session before the summer recess, taking place in Strasbourg from 6-9 July. Items on the agenda include circular economy and green jobs, TTIP, the EU Emissions Trading System, copyright harmonisation, the 2016 budget and external affairs. MEPs will also have the opportunity to quiz … Continue reading
Unemployment in the EU [What Think Tanks are thinking]
Written by Marcin Grajewski Unemployment in the euro zone and the whole European Union has been inching down for many months, adding to signs of economic recovery, but remains well above levels recorded before the start of the financial crisis in 2008. The seasonally-adjusted euro area unemployment rate was 11.1 percent in April 2015 down … Continue reading
Employment and social aspects of the Europe 2020 strategy
Written by Marie Lecerf 6 language versions available in PDF format Beschäftigungsbezogene und soziale Aspekte der Strategie Europa 2020 Empleo y aspectos sociales de la Estrategia Europa 2020 Emploi et aspects sociaux de la stratégie Europe 2020 Aspetti occupazionali e sociali della strategia UE 2020 Zatrudnienie i społeczne aspekty strategii „Europa 2020” Employment and social … Continue reading
The EU’s youth initiatives: focus on education and employment
Written by Ivana Katsarova Currently over 5 million young people (aged 15‐24) in the EU‐28 are unemployed. This represents more than one in five young Europeans; and more than one in two in Greece and Spain, where youth unemployment rates are particularly high. Although the most promising way of providing opportunities for young people is through restoring growth … Continue reading
Public employment services in the EU: Facilitating mobility and employment
Since the beginning of the financial and economic crisis, high rates of unemployment have been one of the most pressing problems of Member States in the European Union (EU). By matching job-seekers with employment opportunities, including vacancies in other Member States, public employment services (PES) can help to reduce unemployment, increase intra-EU mobility of workers … Continue reading
Coup de pouce européen en faveur des jeunes
Avec plus d’un jeune européen sur cinq au chômage, l’Union européenne (UE) a fait de l’insertion de sa jeunesse une priorité. Pour venir en aide aux 15-24 ans en difficulté, la mise en place d’une “garantie pour la jeunesse” – offrir à chaque jeune de moins de 25 ans un emploi de qualité, une formation continue, un apprentissage … Continue reading
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