Long-term Unemployment in the EU : Trends and Policies

Long-term unemployment has become a major societal challenge for most European countries. It is costly for individuals and for society as a whole. Unemployment has risen dramatically in a number of European countries since the beginning of the economic crisis in 2008. Despite recent recovery, the unemployment rate is still alarmingly high, especially in countries that experienced a sovereign debt crisis, but also in some southern and south-eastern European countries. A recent study prepared by Economix Research & Consulting for the Bertelsmann Stiftunganalyses the trends, composition and the causes of long-term unemployment in the European Union from a comparative perspective. The study also deals with ways to measure long-term unemployment and distinguishing other forms of non-employment. Activation policy strategies to reduce and prevent long-term unemployment are also discussed.

Publication by the Bertelsmann Stiftung, see the PDF