Today, the Commission published the activity report of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers (EGF) for 2021-2022.
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During this period, the EU allocated €51.8 million from the EGF to help over 13,000 displaced workers and self-employed people retrain and find a job. The Commission received requests from 9 Member States (Belgium, Germany, Estonia, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Netherlands, and Finland), with EGF funding mobilised in all 14 instances where support had been requested. The largest numbers of affected workers were active in the air transport and automotive sector, followed by the warehousing and support activities for transportation sector. Most workers who received support lost their jobs due to the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.
EGF co-funded measures were instrumental to help them re-train, for instance in digital skills, prepare for new employment opportunities through mentoring, career guidance and job search assistance or to set up their own business. In some cases, workers also received allowances to participate in training. Since 2014, the EGF has maintained an average reemployment rate of 60% across all mobilisation cases, highlighting the EGF’s value in supporting displaced workers.
Through its funding for targeted training and other support measures for the reintegration of dismissed workers, the EGF contributes to the EU’s efforts to support skills development, especially in the context of the European Year of Skills. Since 2007, the EGF has made €688 million available in 177 cases of mass redundancies, assisting almost 168,000 displaced workers across 20 Member States. More information is available in the 2021-2022 EGF activity report and a factsheet on the EGF, with some project examples.