Local and Regional Government: Supporting the European Framework of Action on Youth Employment

Joint statement for local and regional government signed by EPSU and CEMR supporting the European Cross-Sectoral Framework of Action on tackling youth unemployment.

Context

The European Sectoral Social Partners representing Local and Regional Government fully support the recently adopted Cross-Sectoral Social Partner Framework of Action on Youth Employment. We welcome such a Framework in light of the ever increasing unemployment rate of young people across Europe.

It is important to note that Social Partners representing the public sector have highlighted this worrying trend in our sector on numerous occasions, and see it as further contributing to the effects of the crisis and the ongoing demographic challenges facing our sector.
In particular, Youth Employment needs to be addressed in light of the emerging ageing population, the ‘attractivity’ of the public sector for young people, the need for greater efficiency, and the steady on-going re-structuring occurring due to economic and fiscal pressures.
The European Sectoral Social Partners therefore ask the Council to continue to act for more jobs, training and decent work for young workers. In particular we call upon the Council to seek to introduce measures that public sector employers might deploy to increase the number of quality, secure jobs available to young workers in the public sector where the promotion of such entry is needed, and the private sector.
There is also a need to invest into social care and social services of general interest infrastructure. Such an investment can promote employment for youth in the public sector in light of demographic changes. In addition, introducing measures to tackle the unemployment of the young have to be a balanced choice acting on behalf of both “supply” and “demand”.

The youth guarantee is a positive step in this direction but needs to be implemented with an appropriate level of funding at national and EU level that makes it possible to act at local and regional level.

For the full statement: