With the EU countries implementing austerity measures concurrently, there is the danger that the mutually reinforced downturn will gather pace and the prospects for economic growth will deteriorate further, in turn negatively affecting domestic demand as the last source of economic stimulus and undermining stabilisation and job creation. In the coming years, Europe will navigate an exceedingly fraught employment situation. Certain groups are hit harder than average, in particular young people and the long-term unemployed. In order to counteract this, what is needed is speedy and targeted European and national investment with high employment impact, which should be implemented in a coordinated manner in order to amplify its employment policy effects. In this opinion the EESC proposes a number of policy recommendations in order to implement the employment guidelines.
