Young people are getting a rough deal on the labour market – that’s if they can get a job. Youth unemployment hits 30% and even 40% in some European countries.

Q&A: Rejuvenating the work force

Hello, my name is Christian.   I'm from Sweden.

by creating more jobs   for young people in Europe.

Right now more than 20% of young   people in the EU are unemployed.

When they get work, there's no   job security and it's badly paid.

In some countries,   youth unemployment almost doubles.

In some cases, 30 or 40%   of young people are unemployed.

It's impossible to tackle the crisis   if we don't address this problem first.

That's why we need   to prioritise jobs with rights,

to create jobs for young people,   women and the unemployed.

This is the way to ensure   economic growth,

better life conditions   and social progress.

Why are young people getting short-term   rather than long-term contracts?

The reason for that is because   the long-term contracts

make it so difficult for employers   to get rid off the employees

that they don't need in difficult times.

If you want to make it easier   to employ and to dismiss workers,

you need to change the regulation of   the European labour market.

It's too restrictive and bosses don't want   to hire the young on long-term contracts.

Hello, my name is Josefina Carreira.   I'm from Portugal.

I think young people should get   the minimum salary in their first job.

We try to answer   this question all the time.

Unfortunately these competencies   are not included in the EU Treaty.

That's why the power to take this kind of   decision remains with Member States.

Of course we have to coordinate this,   and we can now see that

when you try to separate monetary and   fiscal policies the results aren't good.

So let's hope that in the near future   this discussion won't just be theoretical

and that we'll try to have   better decisions and coordination,

and probably some changes in the treaty,   so that we can have a minimum salary

and an agreement   for such important issues.

I'm Arnaud and I'm Belgian.   My question to an MEP is:

in this time of crisis   how can we make it easier

for young entrepreneurs   to gain access to credit?

We can do that and we have agreed to   establish a micro-finance facility,

a sum that the EP agreed   should be set aside for entrepreneurs,

small businesses and people who do not   have access to finance via the banks.

In many cases   that would also include young people.

My report calls for some of this money   to be earmarked for young people.

So they can take up and make use of   European micro-finance.