Not over yet: Softening the impact of the financial crisis on the labour market

The EU unemployment rate is expected to increase to above 10% in 2009, reversing the downward trend which started a decade ago. Nonetheless, there is some cause for hope. Member States have allocated considerable budgets and attention to addressing employment issues. Moreover, most of the measures implemented thus far seem to be temporary, targeted and timely. Such measures have helped lessen the impact of the crisis on unemployment. They now need to be embedded in a comprehensive, coordinated strategy to prevent the rise in unemployment from becoming structural.

European Commission: DG Economic and Financial Affairs: Publications: European Economy News http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/een/download_en.htm

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