Today, the Employment and Social Policy Ministers have reached an agreement during the EPSCO Council on the Commission's proposal for a Recommendation on long-term unemployment.

Member States have committed today to strengthen support to more than 11 million people who have been unemployed for over a year. This will focus efforts towards offering a clear pathway towards employment.

The Recommendation will lead to simplified and more effective access to support for those out of work for long periods. Such support should leave nobody behind and combine

• active measures,
• employment services,
• social support.

It puts forward three key steps:

• encouraging the registration of long-term unemployed with an employment service;
• providing each registered long-term unemployed with an individual in-depth assessment to identify their needs and potential at the very latest at 18 months of unemployment;
• offering a job integration agreement to all registered long-term unemployed at the very latest at 18 months.  

The job integration agreement should consist of a tailor-made plan to bring the long-term unemployed back to work. It can include, depending on the existing services in each Member State:

• mentoring,
• help with the job search,
• further education and training,
• support for housing, transport, child and care services or rehabilitation.

Member States have also committed to an active involvement and partnership with employers, enhancing the range of services they can receive, as well as broadening targeted financial incentives for re-inserting jobseekers out of work for more than one year.