MADRID, 22 May. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Government has committed to developing, within the framework of social dialogue and within six months, a “global” strategy to combat long-term unemployment and unemployment among older workers.
This is stated in the Royal Decree-Law on unemployment benefit reform approved yesterday in the Council of Ministers and published this Wednesday in the Official State Gazette (BOE).
The Executive points out that this strategy will include measures regarding employment, training, working conditions and Social Security with the aim of promoting the reintegration of these groups into the labor market or their maintenance in it.
According to data from the latest Active Population Survey (EPA), from the first quarter of the year, of the 2.97 million unemployed counted in Spain at the end of March, 15.6% were young people under 25 years of age and 35. 4%, long-term unemployed (more than a year of unemployment).
According to the EPA, the number of long-term unemployed fell by 32,400 people in the first quarter, almost 3% compared to the previous quarter, reaching 1,053,900 people. In the last year, long-term unemployed have been reduced by 99,800 people (-8.6%).
According to the unemployment benefit reform published today in the BOE, beneficiaries of unemployment benefits over 45 years of age are guaranteed the development of an individualized profile to be able to access employment, entrepreneurship or training opportunities.
Said profile, the text specifies, must be designed over the six months following the entry into force of this reform, which will generally occur on November 1, 2024.
The rule also establishes that, within the budget funds that are distributed annually to the autonomous communities in the Conference of Employment and Labor Affairs, an amount will be reserved to be invested in active employment policies in favor of people over 52 years of age. This year, this amount is around 600 million euros.