Insights into European PES trends

The European Network of Public Employment Services (PES) just released its annual "Trends in PES: Assessment Report on PES Capacity", offering an overview of the latest developments in PES. Drawing from extensive data collected from PES Network members, the report provides insights into the landscape of employment services across 31 PES.

Key points

Contextually for PES, the EU labour market is performing strongly. Nearly all PES countries have experienced a decline in the total number of registered unemployed, with a 9.8% reduction across the 31 PES in 2022. Particularly striking is the unprecedented 17.3% decline in the number of long-term unemployed individuals between 2021 and 2022, as per PES registers. The youth cohort experienced the largest drop in registered unemployment, with a significant 18.3% reduction.

However, coupled with a surge in job vacancies, labour shortages is one of the major challenges for PES, has leading to new measures. For example, 61% of responding  PES developed services for jobseekers to improve matching and 52% reach out more often to employers to collect vacancies.

In this European Year of Skills, PES have tackled the skills gap by actively engaging in skills assessments and the provision of upskilling and reskilling trainings for registered jobseekers and employed workers at risk of becoming unemployed. 22 PES are working with partners to deliver professional, language, and digital skills assessments. The digital transformation in PES also continues, allowing to multiply service delivery channels to support placements  and expand the provision of personalised guidance.

PES continue to play an important role in facilitating labour market access, particularly for disadvantaged groups. The report observes how PES have expanded and further customised service offerings for employers and jobseekers (25 and 19 PES respectively) to facilitate better labour market integration.

Efforts are also underway to bolster the implementation of the reinforced Youth Guarantee. More PES (26) are either partly or fully in charge of the overall management of the Youth Guarantee, than at the onset of the reinforced initiative. 25 PES are involved in mapping and outreach, while 28 PES participate in the preparation and offer stages. This shows the important role of PES in facilitating the education-to-employment transition of young people.

From an organisational point of view, the report highlights an increase in remote and hybrid work arrangements in PES organisations, catalysed by the Covid-19 pandemic. Indeed, 39% of responding PES reported a majority of their staff engaging in remote or hybrid work arrangements, with greater prevalence in PES head offices.

Finally, PES are actively contributing to the Green and Digital transitions. 45% of responding PES have adopted sustainability strategies or are developing initiatives to become more sustainable. PES are also leveraging EU funds, particularly from European Social Fund Plus and REACT-EU, to successfully deliver on their objectives. These funds contribute to capacity building, staff training and supporting vulnerable groups.

Further reading

The "Trends in PES: Assessment Report on PES Capacity" offers a comprehensive overview of the European employment landscape, highlighting the role of PES in navigating dynamic labour market conditions and promoting inclusive, sustainable employment strategies. To read the full report, click here and stay tuned for more information on the upcoming webinar on the report.