Expenditure on Labour Market Policies, 1998-2003 - Issue number 17/2005 - Products Statistics in Focus

The present SIF shows expenditure on Labour Market Policies in 1998 and 2003. The European Union countries spent (in 2003) 2.3% of their combined GDP on interventions to support the labour market integration of the unemployed and other disadvantaged groups. Of the total expenditure on Labour Market Policies (LMP), over 60% (1.4% of GDP) was spent on passive supports (mainly unemployment benefits). Expenditure on active measures such as training accounted for just 0.7% of GDP. Between 1998 and 2003 there was very little change in real terms in the level of expenditure on LMP.