Figures published by Eurostat today showing that low pay is trapping young people in poverty demonstrate why member states must support a stronger traineeship directive.
The data shows 19.2% of people aged 15 and 29 were at risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2024 – three percentage points higher than the poverty rate for the general population.
However, the proportion of young people in households with what Eurostat classifies as “very low work intensity”* is just 0.3 percentage points lower (8.2% compared with 7.9% for the total population). It suggests young people are ten times more like to be in poverty despite working.
€1028 per month
The data comes amid negotiations between member states on the Traineeship Directive proposed by the Commission last march. So far, the Council’s proposal falls far short of the action required to address the exploitation of young people in the labour market.
The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) has written to member state ambassadors calling for them to support fair remuneration for all trainees and safeguards to prevent the replacement of entry-level jobs with unpaid or underpaid trainees.
The Eurobarometer found that more than half of young people have to undertake more than one traineeship before securing a permanent job. The basic living costs required to undertake an unpaid internship are at least €1028 per month, according to research for the European Youth Forum.
Commenting on today’s figures, ETUC Confederal Secretary Tea Jarc said:
“Official EU data shows that young people are being kept in poverty by low pay despite working just as hard as everyone else. That puts a responsibility on politicians to take action to stop young people being used as cheap or even free labour.
“The Traineeship Directive currently under negotiation is an opportunity to stop the exploitation of young people that we cannot afford to get wrong given today’s data.
“Allowing unpaid or underpaid traineeships to continue not only keeps young people in poverty now, but bakes in inequality by ensuring that only the wealthiest can afford to take up opportunities that lead to quality jobs in the future.
"The European Parliament has consistently voted for properly paid traineeships and the Commission has also now done their bit to end this spiral of precarity faced by young people. Now the Council must ensure there is progress.
“At a time when young people say the cost of living is their top priority, there will be a high price to pay for any politicians who prevent action that would help lift them out of poverty.”
Notes
ETUC Letter to Ambassadors – Traineeships Directive Falls Short of Worker Protections
* According to Eurostat: “The indicator persons living in households with very low work intensity is defined as the number of persons living in a household where the members of working age worked a working time equal or less than 20% of their total work-time potential during the previous year.”
