Cohesion policy support for youth employment suffers from a lack of long-term objectives and indicators and is struggling to reach the most vulnerable, according to a report by the European Court of Auditors published on Thursday 4 June.
“The unemployment rate for young people aged 15-29 in the EU has fallen from 20 % in 2013 to below 12 % over the last few years”, the Court’s auditors underline, but “young people are still twice as likely to be unemployed as the overall workforce”.
The study, conducted in Germany, Spain and Italy, covers the 2014-2020 period of the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Youth Employment Initiative, support through REACT-EU, and the current programming of the ESF+.
The main point highlighted is the lack of results-based measures. European Commission indicators assess the return to employment in the six months following the end of European aid. Yet since the aim is to help young people keep their jobs over time, an indicator over 12 or 18 months would be more relevant, the auditors state.
“Without clearer objectives and better evidence of long‑term results, it is difficult to know whether public funds are truly making a difference for young people”, according to Carlo Alberto Manfredi Selvaggi, who was responsible for the audit. The study highlights another paradox: public policies are struggling to reach the young people furthest from employment (‘inactive people’), even though they are a target group.
To consult the report: https://aeur.eu/f/m6o (Original version in French by Juliette Verdes)