2025年就业与劳动力关键趋势报告（英）_55页_942kb

Summary of the 2nd Monitoring Exercise of the 5th UfM Ministerial Declaration on Employment and Labour

Core Content

This report presents the findings of the second cross-country monitoring exercise of the priorities outlined in the 5th Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Ministerial Declaration on Employment and Labour, which was adopted in May 2022. It was prepared by the European Training Foundation (ETF) with support from PPMI (part of Verian group), and includes data and insights from 13 UfM Member States (MS) that voluntarily participated in the monitoring process. The report is structured around three main pillars of the UfM Ministerial Declaration, and highlights key trends, progress, and challenges in employment and labour policies across the region.

Main Pillars and Dimensions

The monitoring exercise is based on the revised UfM Monitoring Framework 2022–2025, which reorganises the priorities into three pillars:

Pillar 1: More and Better Jobs – Employment Creation and Entrepreneurship

• Dimensions:
  • Social Economy
  • Entrepreneurship Programmes
  • Informal Economy
• Key Findings:
  • Volunteering countries have developed legal frameworks for the social economy.
  • France, Spain, and Portugal estimate their social economy's contribution to GDP at up to 10%.
  • Entrepreneurship has seen strengthened support through new finance schemes, updated legal frameworks, and private-sector engagement.
  • Legal and inspection regimes have been tightened to formalise informal employment, though it still exceeds a quarter of non-agricultural jobs in several countries.

Pillar 2: Inclusive Labour Markets – Improving Access for Workers and Vulnerable Groups

• Dimensions:
  • Youth Participation in the Labour Market
  • Women’s Participation in the Labour Market
  • Migrants' Participation in the Labour Market
• Key Findings:
  • All countries have developed youth strategies, but NEET rates remain high in some Arab Mediterranean countries (AMCs).
  • Women’s activity rates have increased in several countries, supported by gender equality strategies, including anti-discrimination laws, pay transparency, and social dialogue mechanisms.
  • Migrant integration has been included in social dialogue mechanisms, and policies such as language training and skills recognition have been adopted to improve employability.

Pillar 3: Skills and Lifelong Learning – Strengthening Workforce Preparedness

• Dimensions:
  • Access, Participation, and Opportunities for Lifelong Learning
  • Quality of Lifelong Learning
  • System Organisation
• Key Findings:
  • Vocational education and training (VET) reforms are advancing, with countries like Portugal, Montenegro, and Morocco pioneering modular adult learning and prior learning recognition.
  • France and Portugal have integrated literacy, numeracy, and digital competences into their education systems.
  • Centres of excellence in pedagogy, governance, and social inclusion are being developed in several countries to align VET with labour market needs.

Key Trends and Challenges

• Socioeconomic Context:

  • Youth populations are declining in EU MS and Montenegro, while stabilising in AMCs, Israel, and Türkiye.
  • Fertility rates are low in the EU, but higher in AMCs, Israel, and Türkiye.
  • GDP per capita and labour productivity have largely recovered post-pandemic, but disparities remain, especially in R&D investment and innovation rankings.
  • Educational attainment is increasing, but collective bargaining and civic participation are uneven across the region.

• Main Challenges:

  • Informal employment remains high in several economies.
  • Gender gaps in workforce participation and leadership roles persist.
  • Regional disparities, particularly between rural and urban areas, are still evident.
  • Skills mismatches continue to be a concern.

Key Recommendations

1. Strengthen integrated approaches to tackle youth inactivity and NEETs

   • Implement early identification and personalised guidance for NEETs.
   • Expand access to apprenticeships, employment, and entrepreneurship pathways.
   • Draw inspiration from the EU Youth Guarantee model.

2. Promote gender-responsive employment strategies

   • Address structural barriers to women's participation through child-care support, flexible working arrangements, and reskilling in digital and green sectors.
   • Encourage equal pay and gender parity in leadership roles.

3. Support transition from informal to formal employment

   • Scale up pilot programmes that incentivise formalisation.
   • Simplify administrative processes and introduce fiscal incentives.
   • Strengthen controls and sanctions against undeclared work.

4. Reinforce frameworks for meaningful and inclusive social dialogue

   • Ensure regular and effective participation of social partners in policy design and monitoring.
   • Integrate social dialogue into broader reform processes.

5. Improve labour market monitoring and data systems

   • Develop reliable, internationally comparable, and disaggregated data systems.
   • Support technical cooperation and capacity-building for national monitoring efforts.

6. Reinforce data collection on people with disabilities

   • Expand Pillar 2 to include data on persons with disabilities as separate indicators or a new dimension.
   • Promote equal opportunities through policy innovation and targeted measures.

7. Boost social, green, and digital entrepreneurship ecosystems

   • Strengthen regional cooperation in inclusive entrepreneurship.
   • Develop enabling legal frameworks and promote access to finance and social investment.

8. Invest in lifelong learning systems

   • Support inclusive and future-proof skills development.
   • Promote school-to-work and work-to-work transitions through quality education and career guidance.

9. Promote regional cooperation and peer learning

   • Facilitate structured peer learning through Communities of Practice, thematic networks, and regional events.
   • Organise the UfM Forum on Employment and Labour and the UfM Forum on Social Dialogue in 2026.
   • Develop the UfM Regional Platform on Employment and Labour with a 2025–2028 Roadmap for Action.

Conclusion

The monitoring round shows progress in moving from agenda setting to implementation, although the pace and scope vary by country. The report highlights the importance of peer learning, policy dialogue, and data-driven decision-making in improving employment and labour market policies. It also serves as a foundation for future regional cooperation and strategic initiatives, with the final findings to be presented at the 6th UfM Ministerial Meeting on Employment and Labour in Malta (13–14 October 2025).