An estimated two million people per year move into employment as a result of the European Social Fund, it has been claimed.

Laszlo Andor, European commissioner for employment, social affairs and inclusion, explained that it increases the chances of those seeking work, particularly in the wake of the downturn.

He pointed to the improvements made in bringing up poorer regions to the standard of the best in the European Union (EU) as a result of cohesion policy, but added that more needs to be done to boost employment rates and education levels.

In his speech on the ESF and the future of European Union (EU) cohesion policy, the commissioner declared: "The ESF has acted as a catalyst for reform in areas like lifelong learning, the provision of childcare, adapting workers and companies to industrial change."

Mr Andor told an audience in Brussels that meeting goals to have a 75 per cent EU employment rate by 2010 and increasing the number of people with degrees could boost the economy by 11 per cent.

Recent Eurostat data showed that the seasonally-adjusted jobless rate for the 27 member states stood unchanged at 9.6 per cent during September 2010.

Posted by Alex Donnell