A target to achieve an employment rate across the European Union (EU) should be raised to 75 per cent of the active population.

This is according to MEPs, who voted in favor of raising the current goal in order to ensure that "more and better jobs" are created by member states, while the target for young people in employment, education or training should be set at 90 per cent.

Politicians from the region voted by 566 votes to 59 for the proposal drafted by Hungarian MEP Csaba Ory at a recent meeting, which also included suggestions for nations to focus on vulnerable social groups.

Under the plans, the EU Parliament agreed that the employment rate for such demographics as unskilled female workers, individuals aged between 50 and 64-years old and those with disabilities should be boosted by ten per cent by 2014.

The employment guidelines form part of the Europe 2020 strategy for growth and jobs.

Recent figures from Eurostat showed that the unemployment rate across the 27 EU member states remained stabled in July 2010 at 9.5 per cent compared with the previous month.