In a letter addressed to Labor Minister Hubertus Heil and Minister Franziska Giffey, Nicolas Schmit, EU Commissioner for Labor and Social Rights, advocates the use of funds from the European Social Fund to promote young people and social integration. The content of the letter reads:
“Dear Ministers,
One year after the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, Europe is still facing its detrimental socio-economic consequences. Both the direct and indirect effects of the pandemic will continue to have a substantial impact on all Member States in the medium to long-term with risks of increasing levels of youth unemployment, child poverty, social inequalities and exclusion if we fail to act decisively.
Young people have been disproportionately hit. From December 2019 to December 2020 youth unemployment has increased by 3 percentage points in the EU despite the wide use of short-time work schemes. This brings the number of unemployed young persons to over 3.1 million. Youth unemployment has been consistently and significantly higher than that of the adult population (over 25). The latest figures showing a difference of over 10 percentage points (17.8% compared to 6.6% in December 2020).
Child poverty is present in all Member States. In 2019, more than one in five children, meaning 18 million children were at risk of poverty and social exclusion across the EU, with some Member States reporting particularly high numbers. The Covid-19 crisis is making it even harder for children to enjoy equal opportunities in accessing basic services such as education and healthcare and thus realising their full potential later in life.