3. IMPLEMENTATION OF SPECIFIC GUIDELINES: ASSESSMENT OF
PERFORMANCES AND POLICIES
3.1 ACTIVE AND PREVENTATIVE MEASURES FOR THE UNEMPLOYED AND INACTIVE
Key facts and challenges
The economic slowdown has stopped the long-term fall in the EU unemployment rate. The unemployment rate has risen from 7.4% in 2001 to 8.1% in 2003, and some 14 million people are currently unemployed in the EU 15 as a whole. Long-term unemployment stabilised at over 3% (more than 5% in EL and IT). Long-term...