Employment: Report confirms effectiveness of EU Globalisation Adjustment Fund

Today the Commission has published its report on the performance of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) in 2015 and 2016. The report reaffirms the role of the Fund as a flagship demonstration of European solidarity within the limits of its set-up and budgetary availabilities, having helped close to 19,500 workers to adjust to changing trade patterns and consequences of the economic and financial crisis in that period. Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility Marianne Thyssen said: “Today’s results demonstrate the added value of the Globalisation Fund in helping redundant workers who have difficulties to find a new job. The assistance worth €70 million of the Globalisation Adjustment Fund has paid off: in 2015 and 2016, 9,072assisted workers were re-employed, despite the challenging labour market situation these people faced. This year’s tenth anniversary of the Fund marks it as a proof of European solidarity to workers falling victim to mass lay-offs caused by globalisation or the crisis.”9,072 workers, or close to half of the workers who participated in the Globalisation Adjustment Fund measures, had found new jobs or were self-employed after one year, at the end of the implementation period of the measures. An additional 645 people were at that time in education or training to increase their future employability. Member States also reported that the personal situation, employability and self-confidence of the workers concerned had visibly improved thanks to the Globalisation Adjustment Fund assistance and services. More information can be found in this press release.