Audit compendium : youth unemployment and the integration of young people into the labour market : audit reports published between 2013 and 2017

The situation of young people in the labour market, dramatically affected by the consequences of the economic and financial crisis which started in 2008, is a major challenge for the European Union and its Member States. In spite of a decrease in youth unemployment in most Member States after its 2013 peak, it remains a serious concern: in 2016 4.2 million young Europeans could not find work and the proportion facing long-term unemployment remains high. Tackling youth employment is mainly a task to be undertaken by national and regional governments. But the European Union supports and, if necessary, complements their efforts to combat unemployment. The growing number of programmes for, and public funds invested in tackling youth unemployment has prompted many EU Member State supreme audit institutions to include an audit of this subject in their work programmes. This audit compendium opens with a general overview, including an explanation of the historical evolution of employment policy development in the European Union. This is followed by a description of some of the main issues in youth unemployment. The second part of this audit compendium summarises the results of selected audits carried out by 13 Member State SAIs (Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, France, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, and United Kingdom) and the European Court of Auditors over the past four years. These selected audits addressed important aspects of performance issues, focusing on the efficiency, effectiveness, and/or economy of the employment policies, programmes and projects implemented. The third part of this audit compendium contains detailed fact-sheets for selected audits carried out by the 13 Member Sate SAIs and the European Court of Auditors.