The Equal Treatment of Young People in the Labour Market

Key points

The EESC:

• highlights the importance of young people's fruitful participation in the labour market and stresses that their first participation should be a positive one and measures that treat them less favourably solely on the basis of their age are counterproductive;
• Recommends that the European Commission, Member States and the social partners consider the issue of ''youth minimum wages'' in line with the equal treatment principle and applicable legal and policy frameworks;
• calls on Member States to respect the principle of non-discrimination to eliminate differential rules for young people regarding unemployment benefits and assistance payments as they have the potential to shape young peoples' labour market situation and impact on their ability to exercise their rights to free movement in the EU;
• considers that while traineeships facilitate access to employment, they should offer good quality learning content and adequate working conditions and should not be a substitute for regular jobs or a precondition for a job placement;
• recommends that the other EU institutions and bodies take a greater interest in the matter of unpaid or not compensated internships as a tangible symbol of their commitment to young people following the 2022 European Year of Youth;
• recalls the role of the European Commission to review whether the quality framework for traineeships (QFT) is being properly implemented;
• Supports mainstreaming of a European Youth Test assessing the impact on young people of all new policy.