Social Justice in the EU – Index Report 2017. Social Inclusion Monitor Europe

Summary:

Rising poverty, youth unemployment and impending sovereign bankruptcies – Europe has been undergoing a stress test almost permanently since the financial crisis began in 2008. For a number of years, the opportunities for people to participate in society worsened considerably in most EU states. But now, almost ten years after the crisis, a new trend is emerging.

A discernible upward trend is emerging in the EU as regards social justice. This improvement in opportunities for social participation is mainly being driven by a marked recovery on the labour markets. Labour market data has improved year on year in 26 of the 28 EU states. The EU's average unemployment rate fell to 8.7% in 2016, having stood at 11% in 2013 at the height of the social crisis. However, the recovery is proceeding at two different speeds: the gap between northern and southern Europe remains substantial. Especially in the crisis-hit countries in the South, an above-average proportion of children and young people remain at risk of poverty and exclusion. These are the findings of the Social Justice Index 2017 published in November 2017 – a tool which has been used annually since 2008 to analyse participation opportunities in the EU on the basis of 38 economic and social criteria. The Scandinavian countries Denmark, Sweden and Finland are once again at the top of the table this year. Despite some improvements, Greece continues to bring up the rear.

Bertelsmann Stiftung: Social Governance Indicators http://www.sgi-network.org/2017/

Bertelsman Stiftung: Press Release, 16.11.17: Nosedive halted: recovery on the labour market improves social justice in the EU http://www.bertelsmann-stiftung.de/en/press/press-releases/press-release/pid/nosedive-halted-recovery-on-the-labour-market-improves-social-justice-in-the-eu/

---