Lisbon, Nov. 15, 2024 (Lusa) - Portugal's secretary of state for labour said on Friday that the youth unemployment rate "is a serious problem" that "surprises even European leaders" and that the government is "working" with the EU and the OECD on solutions.
During the hearing in parliament, as part of the specialised discussion of the 2025 State Budget, Adriano Moreira acknowledged that the youth unemployment rate is "a serious problem that has been going on since 2019".
"It's one of the highest youth unemployment rates in Europe, and it's a problem that surprises European leaders themselves," revealed the Secretary of State for Labour, indicating that the government is "working on building solutions with the support of the European Union (EU) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
According to the Secretary of State, the heads of these institutions were in Portugal this week to meet with the government. They were "astonished" by the national youth unemployment rate, namely by the fact that "so much support" has been given over the "last five years".
"At the beginning of December, we will present a study carried out by the ILO to try to understand and combat this phenomenon," Adriano Moreira also announced.
He recalled that the current government had repealed measures from the previous PS government, which he considered "ineffective". He had approved others, namely the Start Internships, the +Talent programme and the +Employment programme, "reinforcing the beneficiaries" grants and betting on a greater connection to the labour market".
In this debate, CDS MP Paulo Núncio also questioned the minister of labour, solidarity and social security about the statements made by the governor of the Bank of Portugal regarding the retention of recent graduates in Portugal.
"We have information that three out of ten young people have chosen to emigrate and that a lot of this emigration is by the most qualified young people," he replied.
Mário Centeno had defended Portugal's ability to retain recent graduates, pointing out that the discussion around qualifications has been based on "indicator figures".
According to the governor, "over the last 8 years, the labour force with higher education has increased by an average of 70,000 individuals per year" and "just over 50,000 graduates leave Portuguese universities each year".
JMF/ADB // ADB.
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