EU Youth Jobless Rate Hits 21 Percent
By KUNA
The EU is calling on its member states, workers’ representatives and business to join forces and take decisive action to tackle youth unemployment, which stands at 21 percent in Europe.
The EU’s executive body, European Commission, adopted Tuesday The new ‘Youth Opportunities Initiative’, aimed at preventing early school leaving; helping youngsters develop skills relevant to the labour market; and helping young people find a first good job.
Laszlo Andor, EU Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs, stressed urgency to tackle the youth jobless rate saying “the current situation for young people in many EU countries today is becoming dramatic. Without decisive action at EU and national level we risk losing this generation with a heavy economic and social cost.”
He estimated that the burden on society of current youth unemployment levels is about EUR two billion each week.
