European perceptions of public programmes for zero unemployment

Policy Brief

The coinciding challenges in EU politics (combating the climate crisis and pursuing a just transition) are a call to explore new concepts that help create decent employment and strengthen the social economy.

This policy brief aims to shed light on European citizens’ perception of the topic of unemployment, the quality of work they experience and wish for, and public policies to address these challenges. It is based on a European-wide online survey that includes comparisons between Germany, Italy, France and Belgium, and qualitative research conducted in Berlin, Germany.

The results show that while people perceive unemployment as a problem and are aware of the burden it can put on people’s lives, they find that politics is concerned too little with the issue, and that there is potential for the public sector and regions to bridge the gap between enabling a green transition and a more accessible and just labour market at the same time.