Poverty and Employment in the Europe 2020 Strategy

Abstract

The so-called Europe 2020 Strategy was aimed at removing 20 million people from poverty during the present decade. This period has been characterized by a strong economic crisis in the EU. The purpose of the Strategy 2020 has not been fulfilled. In 2016, poverty was greater than in 2008. There are several reasons for the failure of policies to combat poverty in the EU. One of the most important causes is to have considered economic growth and job creation as the only mechanisms to reduce the number of poor people. Today, work is not an insurance against poverty due to its precariousness: more than a tenth of European workers are poor at the present time.