D8.3 Policy Brief: Paving the way for inclusive labour markets under the European Pillar of Social Rights

The European Pillar of Social Rights includes twenty principles and rights to support well-functioning and fair labour markets and welfare systems, structured around three categories: equal opportunities and access to the labour market, fair working conditions, and social protection and inclusion. To implement these principles, the Action Plan sets out a number of EU actions and three EU headline targets to be achieved by the end of 2030 in the areas of employment, skills, and social protection.
One of the targets aims to increase the employment rate to at least 78% (of the population aged 20 to 64) by 2030. To achieve this goal, the European Commission is striving to promote greater participation in the labour market by as many working-age individuals as possible, by removing existing barriers and reaching out to groups with fewer opportunities (European Commission, 2021). Nevertheless, the latest European Commission’s Employment and Social Developments report highlights that one-fifth of the working-age population, around 51 million people, are currently outside the labour market (European Commission, 2025a).