On 26 June, the Federation of European Social Employers and the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) signed the Framework of Actions on Retention & Recruitment in Social Services. With this initiative, the two organisations aim to support the delivery of reliable, person-centred services while making care jobs attractive, sustainable and rewarding.

Social services across Europe are facing various challenges, with staff shortages being one of the most concerning. By 2050, the sector will need over 1.6 million extra long-term care workers just to maintain today’s level of support. Given the continent’s ageing population, this statistic paints a critical picture.

In line with the European Care Strategy and the EU Action Plan to address labour and skills shortages, the Framework outlines 15 concrete actions across 11 focus areas to address the staffing crisis. These include:

• Building career pathways and improving wages through robust collective bargaining.
• Improving onboarding processes and guaranteeing safe, needs-based staffing levels.
• Investing in education, lifelong learning and digital competencies.
• Improving work-life balance with flexible schedules and family-friendly policies.
• Promoting gender equality and a more diverse workforce.
• Strengthening social dialogue in countries where it is still missing or weak.

The Framework is both a commitment from European-level social partners for social services and a call to action for all stakeholders involved in shaping social services. The Social Employers and EPSU urge national, regional and local actors, including social partners and public authorities, to put these measures into practice.

Read the full Framework of Actions here.

About the signatoires 

The Federation of European Social Employers (the Social Employers) represents social services employers at the European level. Social services include care and support for older people, persons with disabilities, children, and other disadvantaged groups.

The European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) brings together trade unions from across Europe and represents over 8 million public service workers. EPSU works hard to deliver better working conditions, improved health and safety and enhanced rights for its members.