Employment and Social Developments in Europe (ESDE) 2024 report

The European Commission’s 2024 Employment and Social Developments in Europe (ESDE) report provides a complete picture on EU labour market trends over the last year. Focusing on key topics such as boosting employment, social inclusion, competitiveness and economic growth, the report also sheds light on the topic of NEETs and early leaving from VET. 

Most importantly, the report highlights that NEETs numbers across the EU have further increased during 2023 with the overall NEET rate having decreased by 0.5 pp to 11.2% on average in the EU (slightly higher for women with 12.5% than men with 10.1%). Despite these promising developments, the NEET rate remains elevated compared to the envisaged policy objective of decreasing the NEET rate to 9% by 2023 as set out in the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan. While the situation of young people, including NEETs has improved generally, it still falls behind considerably compared to the total population which remains an important policy issue in light of economic and demographic challenges as well significant labour shortages the EU is facing.