The dramatic increase in unemployment and the concomitant spread of poverty, social exclusion and inequality is more evident in certain EU regions, such as Greece, Spain and Portugal, where the long-term unemployment rate has soared up to 60% or even to 70% of total unemployment. 

The GUE/NGL European Parliamentary Group, on the initiative of Greek MEP Kostadinka Kuneva, brought together the findings and recommendations of a wide range of important employment and social policy scholars in a conference titled: "Full Employment and Social Cohesion: Are they still possible in a changing Europe?" (European Parliament, 14.10.2015).

Addressing the conference, Greek Alternate Minister for Combating Unemployment Rania Antonopoulos called for European policies that put job creation at the centre of economic policy. Antonopoulos stressed that it is the public sector’s responsibility to implement programmes for temporary jobs that benefit the unemployed, via public works and social benefits, announcing that the Greek government is committed to initiate such a programme that will create 150.000 jobs within 2016.

Watch: Rania Antonopoulos’ presentation at the conference

See more: Rania Antonopoulos’ Levy Economics Institute publications; Rania Antonopoulos@YouTube; Interviews: Deutsche Welle; BBC