The European Commission presented its Joint Employment Report on Wednesday 18 November, at the same time as the ‘autumn package’ (see other news), as part of the budgetary process for the ‘European Semester’.
“The pandemic broke a 6-year positive trend in employment”, said the Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, Nicolas Schmit, in the press room. He explained that the current situation is causing discouragement: the unemployed “just don’t go and look for a job” while waiting for better days. This trend, this vicious circle, reduces income and increases poverty, he added.
What do the numbers say? A year ago, 209.3 million people were employed in the EU, the highest level ever. This autumn, the pandemic wiped out 3% of jobs, affecting 6.1 million people. Despite the short-time working measures at national level, supported by the EU’s SURE instrument, the employment rate reflects on the 20-64 age group, although the Commissioner explained that this decline remains “moderate”. The number of hours worked, on the other hand, has fallen drastically by more than 10%, he said.
The sectors most affected are: wholesale and retail trade, accommodation and transport with 2.8 million fewer workers, a reduction of 5.5% of the workforce. In relative terms, the cultural and arts sector and the agriculture and forestry sector experienced the greatest job devastation (5% and 4.3% respectively).
In general, it is young people (15-24 years old) who have been most affected by the destruction of jobs related to the pandemic. They number 5.4 million, including young NEETs (not in education, employment, or training). Young people are the category with the most temporary and precarious contracts, Commissioner Schmit added.
Questioned by EUROPE on the need to extend the SURE instrument to deal with the pandemic, Commissioner Schmit and the Commissioner for Economy, Paolo Gentiloni, refrained from making predictions, merely highlighting the success of the instrument. However, Mr Gentiloni stressed the strong interest of Member States in this instrument and the loan system.
To consult the report: https://bit.ly/3lI8ASR (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)