Employment Guidelines

Key points

The EESC:

• welcomes the proposal for a Council Decision on guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States;

• warns of persisting political instability and high levels of inflation and high interest rates, which reduce citizens' purchasing power and businesses' competitiveness, affecting investment decisions in the private and public sectors. These difficulties could jeopardise the implementation of employment policy guidelines in the Member States, the achievement of the European Pillar of Social Rights and 2030 targets;

• believes that it is all the more necessary to take steps to strengthen both the role of the social partners and their involvement in designing and implementing employment, social and economic reforms and policies, including by building their capacity;

• reiterates its concerns about the possible consequences of reinstating fiscal rules in 2024, ending the suspension of recent years;

• firmly believes that austerity is not a solution, as the past has shown. On the contrary, the necessary solution is sustainable solidarity-based public policies, similar to those implemented during the pandemic and at the outbreak of the war;

• advocates facilitating access to the labour market, in particular by increasing the participation rate of women, young people, persons with disabilities, inactive people, low-skilled citizens, people from non-EU countries and people from other vulnerable groups. This would foster the economic and social sustainability of businesses and help to raise employees' qualifications and improve working conditions;

• notes that it is vital to increase labour supply and improve access to lifelong employment, skills and competences.