The European Commission has criticised the EU for falling short of its employment targets, reports Personnel Today.
Employment rates in the EU peaked at 63% in 2003 and showed no upwards movement, falling short of the 70% target.
The outlook continues to look bleak with predictors saying that there will be limited employment growth in the next year.
The European Commission warned that the EU had a lot of work to do to make itself: “The most competitive economy in the World by 2010.”
Benchmarking against the US also highlights the concerns with official statistics showing that the US is outstripping employment growth. According to reports by the EU Observer employment levels rose by 0.2% in 2003, compared to 0.9% in the US.
The Competitiveness Council is tabled to meet in the next few days and discussions will centre upon ways to boost competitiveness, such as simplifying other EU laws.
