The EC asks Spain for more measures to reduce youth and long-term unemployment

The European Commission (EC) calls on Spain more measures to reduce youth and long-term unemployment, which in both cases are among the largest in the European Union, said today the headline Community Employment, Marianne Thyssen.

Brussels, Nov 22 (EFE) .- The European Commission (EC) calls on Spain to take more measures to reduce youth and long-term unemployment, which in both cases are among the largest in the Union European, said the community head of Employment, Marianne Thyssen.

The commissioner presented at a press conference the annual joint Employment report published today by the European Commission, which highlights a generalized improvement of labor markets in the Member States.

Although unemployment fell "markedly" in almost all countries in 2016, there are "large disparities "between them, with rates varying between 4% in the Czech Republic and Germany and 23.6% in Greece.

Spain has registered a fall in unemployment above the average, said the Commissioner, who recalled that the level has dropped from 26% in 2013 to 17.2%, something that Thyssen valued in the press conference to present the report.

Also youth unemployment in Spain has decreased, acknowledged the Commissioner, who explained that the percentage went from 55% in 2013 to 39% in 2016.

However, he stressed that Spain "has to do more" and, in particular, asked measures "to improve the effectiveness" of the guarantee of youth employment, the public employment services and the cooperation of these with other social services to ensure the return of unemployed in the labor market and the drop in early school leaving.

In this area Spain is also at the head of the Union, with a percentage close to 20%, compared to 10.7 % of average in the EU.

The document highlights that the economic expansion has reached all EU countries and is reflected in a constant improvement in the labor market and in the social situation, with a decrease in the population at risk of poverty, according to the report.

Economic growth and the generalized improvement of the labor market in the States In the second quarter of 2017, there were 235.4 million employed persons in the EU, which means a higher rate of pay in the EU than in 2017.

employment of 72.3%.

According to the EC, at this rate the 75% employment level set in the Europe 2020 strategy can be reached.

On the other hand, the at 7.5% (8.9% in the euro area) in September 2017, the lowest level since 2008.

What decreases but slowly is youth unemployment, which was in September in the EU (18.7% in the eurozone).

The Brussels report reveals that, despite the improvement in the labor market, wage growth remains moderate in most Member States. members, while in some countries disposable income is at lower levels than before the crisis.

Another finding is that older workers remain more time in the labor market.

Along with the economic and labor recovery, the percentage of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion continued to decrease in 2016 and has reached its level of 2008.

Wage inequality also improved slightly in the EU, after rising after the crisis.