Lisbon Process / Lisbon Strategy
What is referred to as the Lisbon Process is a programme adopted at an EU special summit in Lisbon in 2000 and aimed at improving the EU competitiveness. The goal is to make the EU the “most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world” by 2010. To achieve that goal, many sub-goals were formulated in the areas of economy, employment, research and innovation, social coherence and environment. The employment-related goals are:
- reaching a general employment rate of 70% of the 15 to 64 year old population,
- increasing the employment/population ratio of women to 60%, and
- better integrating older persons into the labour market, so that an employment/population ratio of 50% among the 55 to 64 year olds is achieved.
The source for evaluating the employment goals is the EU labour force survey, which provides internationally comparable data according to the concept of the International Labour Organization (ILO).
Also, as part of its sustainable development strategy called “Prospects for Germany” the Federal Government has defined goals for social coherence which refer to employment, too. To counteract the coming labour shortage caused by demographic change, and to support the social security system, the existing labour potential should be utilised more efficiently. The following targets are to be achieved:
- by 2010: an employment/population ratio of 73% for the 15 to 64 year olds and of 55% for the 55 to 64 year olds
- by 2020: an employment/population ratio of 75% for the 15 to 64 year olds and of 57% for the 55 to 64 year olds
Here, too, the employment/population ratios of the EU labour force survey (microcensus) are used to measure target achievement.
Labour market