Youth employment

There is some optimism in the EU when it comes to the 2014 economics forecast. The macro indicators seem to be encouraging, including for countries such as Spain and Portugal. But the key issue continues to be about job creation. And, frankly, there is again very little debate about this matter. The very few references made here and there are about the high costs of labour. But that´s the wrong approach to the question. The point is a different one: how well are we preparing our youth for tomorrow´s economic challenges?  It is time to initiate the discussion on this. 

EU Leaders neglect job promotion issues

In my opinion column of yesterday in the Portuguese weekly magazine Visao , I concluded that the only way in the European Union to bring confidence back is through lower unemployment rates. 

The European citizens perceive the leaders as too concerned with the survival of the banks, the austerity measures and the usual power games. They do not see the same level of political energy being invested in promoting jobs, attracting investment and expanding exports. For the citizen on the street, the politicians seem to be disconnected from the ordinary person. This translates into a crisis of confidence in the political classes. In many countries, the credibility of the political leaders is rather comparable to a used car vendor’s image. 

If there is no improvement in the job market, the leaders’credibility will remain low. If I were in charge, I would spend most of my time looking for sustainable solutions to the unemployment issue. And I would certainly start by focussing my attention on the exchange value of the Euro. A strong Euro is an important contributing factor for continued job losses.