EU Cohesion Policy invests in employment and long-term growth in Europe. It supports the Europe 2020 Strategy, which aims to see 75% of 20-64 year olds in employment by 2020.
Employment and Labour Mobility is one of the eleven priorities for Cohesion Policy in 2014-2020 ("thematic objective 8").
Investments will be made in active labour market policy, self-employment, labour market institutions, active and healthy ageing, youth employment and other measures designed to boost employment and labour mobility.
The European Social Fund (ESF) is the main Cohesion Policy fund supporting employment and labour mobility. In addition to the measures financed by the ESF, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) improves the conditions for job creation through investments in innovation and R&D, access to finance, infrastructure development, business support, self-employment, SMEs and creation of micro-enterprises. Investments in employment services, local development initiatives, strategies for specific areas, including the conversion of declining industrial regions, are also eligible for ERDF support.
Linked to its contribution in the area of social inclusion, EU cohesion policy supports labour market reforms that promote equal opportunities for all, in particular women, young and old workers and ethnic minorities.
