Un 500 euro check for young people who do not study and do not work, but only on condition that they undertake to attend training courses and enter the world of work. This is what the new one provides "Commitment Agreement" presented by the French President, Emmanuel Macron.
Young NEETs (acronym for “Not in Education, Employment or Training”) between the ages of 16 and 25 will be offered a monthly subsidy. In return, however, they will have to attend 15-20 hours of training courses per week. "It is a simple measure: commitment, diligence, motivation and a State that accompanies you", explained Macron, underlining that the basic principle of the measure is to help girls and boys to "discover a profession, train, find an apprenticeship or a Work". According to Macron “hundreds of thousands of jobs are available everywhere in France”, a calculation which however was harshly contested by associations and unions.
What are the data that prompted the French President to focus on this provision? In France 19,8% of young people are out of work, while during the pandemic, the hiring of the under 30s fell by 77% and the number of people registered in the employment office rose by 36%. In order to make a comparison: according to the latest Istat data released on 3 November, in Italy the youth unemployment rate is 29,8%, while the inactivity rate between 15 and 24 years is 35,7%.
In France, according to government calculations, there are around one million NEETs, but the new measure should cover around 400mila people. The government has allocated 550 euros to them through the new budget law.
Returning to the commitment contract, another condition for accessing the subsidy is the monthly income, which must be less than 497,50 euros. The grant will be disbursed for 12 months, with the possibility of extending it for another six in some specific cases. During this period the beneficiaries will have to attend training courses. If they do not respect their commitments or refuse a job offer without valid justifications, the commitment contract will be terminated. Rules similar to those that in Italy are applied to the CBI, In short. And similar are the criticisms. According to the opposition, it is in fact a welfare subsidy that would hinder the entry of young people into the labor market.
