Tabled by EUCDW, EPP Women and ESU to the EPP Political Assembly
The European People’s Party (EPP):The European People’s Party (EPP) observes that Europe’s labour markets are undergoing rapid transformations. We recognise the profound impact of technological, economic, demographic and geopolitical changes on citizens. These developments impact some groups in society harder due to economic insecurities. We believe that competitiveness and social progress go hand in hand: that a competitive Europe is built on unlocking the full potential of all citizens. People want secure jobs that provide a good quality of life for themselves and their families. At the same time companies are facing increasing uncertainty as energy prices fluctuate and competitive challenges intensify. Workers are risking job losses, wage cuts, and rising pressure. This risks to reduce purchasing power, intensifying the financial strain on households across Europe. The weakening of household demand then has a negative impact on the economy, creating even more insecurity for businesses. This vicious circle undermines social cohesion and fuels growing anxiety, particularly as living costs might rise while wages stagnate.
Disadvantaged groups, including people with disabilities and those with low skills or training, experience poor wellbeing and lack sustainable opportunities. Research shows that mental health is one of the biggest societal problems. We acknowledge that the wellbeing and social protection of workers are vital for the future of Europe’s labour-market. Societal and demographic changes demand help, for example, digitalisation and AI are reshaping the world of work. Closer alignment between education and the dynamic demands of the labour market requires elevating lifelong learning to a universal opportunity, particularly for women, young people and disadvantaged groups.
Working conditions have a direct effect on family life, and improving work-life balance benefits both employees and employers through better retention and productivity. Women remain underrepresented in the digital sector, for reasons that include workplace culture, hiring practices, and unequal access to networks and mentorship, not simply individual choices or aptitude. A workforce building AI systems that skews heavily male risks producing tools that work less well for half the population, whether through biased training data or blind spots in design. Closing this gap is therefore a practical issue of product quality and market reach, not only a matter of fairness. Older workers face a parallel problem: despite holding valuable institutional knowledge and
experience, they are often passed over for training and promotion once assumed and frequently wrongly to be less adaptable to new technology. Addressing this means fixing concrete barriers in hiring and training pipelines, rather than relying on appeals to inclusion alone.,
Finally, we observe that the EU is deprived of talent, resources and wealth; which poses a serious threat to innovation. Alongside supporting companies, we must provide targeted support for citizens. It is crucial to bridge the talent gap through strategic investment in future-proof skills to protect Europe’s competitiveness, strengthen productivity, and ensure stable and sustainable employment. This is essential for sustaining Europe’s prosperity and the European social model.
Call for action
The EPP calls upon its Member Parties and the European institutions to endorse this resolution to emphasise the need to continue to align economic competitiveness, social policies and equality. We call on Member States to address the identified labour market issues in their national reports and to embed lifelong learning in education and labour market policies to ensure that employees’ skills are updated to the changing working environment, in particular digitalisation.
Improve competitiveness by investing in future-proofing skills and retaining talent
- Establish an EU-wide dashboard on jobs, skills, and labour shortages to ensure better alignment between available talent and market;
- Advance the Labour Mobility Package to protect workers’ rights and ensure fair competition. Establish a European Skills High‑Level Board to guide skills policies and support labour mobility. Use this platform to strengthen structured dialogue on skills, including social partners at EU level;
- Calls to ensure equal access to training, reskilling, and career progression opportunities for older workers, and to address age-based assumptions that limit such access;
- Mobilise EU funding instruments such as ESF+, Competitiveness and Innovation funds to invest in skills. Ensure coordinated funding to support upskilling and reskilling across Europe;
- Improve work-life balance for employees in the sector, including flexible working arrangements, in order to support retention of skilled workers regardless of gender;
- Urges that diversity in AI development teams be treated as a component of technical quality assurance, given the documented risks of bias arising from non-representative design processes;
- Simplify procedures for the validation and recognition of academic and professional qualifications to support workers entry into the labour market.
Flexible and modern labour policies
- A strong and proactive approach to mental health and the prevention of workplace absenteeism, would enhance companies’ operational stability. This requires systematic prevention policies, the promotion of healthy and safe working conditions, and a clear framework that supports responsible employer practices;
- We advocate for inclusive policies that support work-life balance. Firstly, men and women should share responsibility for all care tasks (e.g. childcare, elderly care,…). Additionally, obstacles preventing single-household parents from accessing the labour market should be removed. Furthermore, we promote flexible work arrangements, irrespective of gender or location to enable employers in both urban and rural areas to ensure equal access to employment and better work–life balance;
- We should build on existing EU rules to secure parental leave and post-birth support that allow parents to bond with their children while protecting their long-term career prospects.
Conclusion
The EPP recognises that the challenges outlined in this resolution demand urgent and coordinated political action. It is essential to ensure that citizens can adapt to a rapidly changing labour market. This is essential for Europe’s economic competitiveness and social progress. We therefore reaffirm our commitment to promoting equality, strengthening skills and fair opportunities for all citizens. The EPP is ready to take the lead on this priority and work with all partners to deliver concrete, future-proof solutions for Europe’s workforce.
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