A new evaluation confirms that EU investment through the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) helped millions of people improve their skills, find work and stay in employment.

Results for employment and skills

The evaluation, covering the 2014-2020 programming period, shows strong and lasting outcomes. By 2022, ESF and YEI programmes had supported 64.6 million participations across the EU. 

In result:

• more than 7 million people entered employment or self-employment
• around 10 million people gained a qualification
• 6.9 million participants were still in work six months after leaving support.

Compared with non-participants with similar characteristics, ESF participants were 16% more likely to be in employment. The strongest effects were linked to measures such as employment subsidies, financial support and traineeships.

Beyond individual outcomes, ESF and YEI investments also contributed to wider economic effects, including higher GDP and the creation of additional jobs.

Efficiency and administrative costs

The evaluation finds that ESF and YEI measures delivered positive public and private returns compared to the costs of the interventions, in particular for:

• self-employment support
• active inclusion measures
• preventing early school leaving.

Administrative costs remained low and declined compared with the 2007–2013 period. While simplification measures reduced administrative burden, stakeholders indicate that further improvements are still possible.

Target groups and outreach

ESF and YEI programmes were well aligned with the needs of unemployed and inactive people, including young people not in employment, education or training.

Key characteristics of participants include:

• almost half with a low level of education
• significant shares of people at risk of poverty, migrants and persons with disabilities
• a strong focus on young people under YEI, with 72% of participants under 25.

EU funding also made it possible to reach more people and organisations than would have been achievable through national funding alone. At the same time, the evaluation highlights the need to strengthen outreach and better tailor support for some hard-to-reach groups.

Implications for future funding

Overall, the evaluation shows that EU investment through the ESF and YEI made a measurable difference in people’s lives. The findings will help shape future funding contributing to the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights.

Building on this experience will support continued investment in skills development and access to quality employment across the EU, in line with the Union of Skills and the Quality Jobs Agenda.