More than 200,000 people are expected to take part in 'European Job Days 2008', writes Vladimír Špidla
THIS SEPTEMBER and October will see more than 500 events around Europe, such as job fairs, seminars, lectures, workshops and cultural events, all aimed at supporting workers when moving across the EU. Under the banner of European Job Days 2008, a wide range of organisations, such as local businesses, public and private employment services, social partner organisations, universities, learning and training centres, and chambers of commerce, will be taking part. More than 200,000 people are expected to participate in the events.
Job days are held at this time every year to explain the benefits of job mobility within the EU to employers and employees, and give them the opportunity to meet and talk to each other. They also bring many of them in contact with the Eures (European Employment Services) network of advisers (http://www.eures-crossborder.org/), which provides assistance and advice to job-seekers looking for a different work experience and to employers looking for the best talent, regardless of their citizenship. By bridging the gap between the two, Eures contributes to a better functioning European labour market, thereby enhancing the wellbeing and competitiveness of Europe's citizens. Why is mobility important?
A vast majority of Europeans associate the idea of the European Union with the free movement within the member states. Job mobility is also crucial to Europe's objective of boosting jobs and growth. Today's European labour markets offer many opportunities and new experiences for workers. To benefit from these opportunities, people need to be more mobile between jobs and between regions.
Because the supply and demand for European workers is not evenly distributed across countries and regions, skills shortages in sectors such as healthcare and engineering cannot always be met through local recruitment. In such circumstances, enhancing geographical mobility leads to a better match between skills and jobs.
A more mobile workforce has an increasingly important role to play, in particular when considering that vacant jobs and unemployed persons coexist.
The typical mobile worker tends to be younger and more qualified, staying abroad for short periods. Such workers can provide employers with the skills they need, when they need them, and where they need them. Mobility is often linked to a return to the country of origin and attracts more and more people, be they unemployed or in search of a first job. Evidence shows that people without work who move to another country find a job very quickly compared to those who remain in their home country.
Job mobility is thus essential in today's labour market. Many have already discovered that working in another European country gives individuals the chance to learn a new language, discover a new culture and develop new skills. More people have become aware of the opportunities for mobility. At this time of economic difficulty, we need more than ever to draw on these lessons and develop a real mobility culture in Europe.
Mobility should become a natural element in the professional careers of all Europeans. Events such as those held at the job fairs can point the way at the outset. Workers and their families then need access to support services at all stages of their mobility experience; and the issue of return - namely reintegrating workers in their home job market after their period of working abroad - must be properly taken into account.
I applaud the fact that workers from the countries that joined the EU in 2004 now face restrictions only in Belgium, Denmark, Germany and Austria. Some restrictions still apply to workers from Bulgaria and Romania, which joined in 2007. I urge countries which still apply transitional arrangements to remove them, since the experience of mobility develops individual competence and skills, and gives Europeans a greater stake in shaping their continent's destiny.
• Vladimír Špidla is EU commissioner for employment, social affairs and equal opportunities