Jobs for young people common challenge for ASEM members

Even though the global economy is slowly recovering, the job crisis keeps spreading to many areas in the world. Recognizing that despite of common efforts and positive achievements, the world is facing a worsening youth job crisis, and the ASEM member countries are not exception, according to the Hanoi Declaration. The Hanoi Declaration is the Joint Communiqu reached by ministers responsible for labor and employment of ASEM countries and representatives of the European Commission and the Secretariat of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) at the Fourth Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Labor and Employment Ministers' Conference (ASEM LEMC 4) in Vietnam's capital Hanoi on Thursday. According to Yoshiteru Uramoto, regional director of the International Labor Organization (ILO) for Asia and the Pacific, labor market prospects for young people among ASEM countries are still unclear, and the rate of unemployed youth is relatively high in some industrialized economies and emerging economies. According to ILO's forecast, the rate of unemployed youth is expected to rise to 13.5 percent in 2013 in Southeast Asia and the Pacific, and to 9.7 percent in both South Asia and East Asia. Addressed the plenary session of policies to foster employment, including youth employment and employment of other vulnerable groups, Qiu Xiaoping, Chinese vice minister of human resources and social security, said that China is willing to work with Asian and European countries to deepen and expand cooperation in the field of labor and employment, especially share experiences on youth employment, as well as join efforts with Poland, as the lead country for youth employment and technological cooperation projects, to provide a platform for Asian and European countries to exchange and share experiences. According to Vietnamese Minister of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs Pham Thi Hai Chuyen, in Vietnam, the unemployment rate among young people is 3.8 percent, and the ministry's most important tasks are to consult the government for the early implementation of the vocational training strategy and submit to the National Assembly an employment bill. Koos Richelle, director general for employment, social affairs and inclusion, European Commission said that the rate of unemployed youth in Europe stays at 20 percent, and the figure even reaches 50 percent in some countries. According to the Hanoi Declaration, all delegates reiterated the need to adopt and implement policies to foster employment and to create decent jobs, in particular for youth, in partnership with other stakeholders, and to make it accessible to all young people. Vocational training, quality apprenticeships should be enhanced. Recognition of skills acquired on the job in informal activities can also enable young people to attain formal employment. This would increase employability and contribute towards a more stable and inclusive labor market. The outcomes of discussions and the Hanoi Declaration will be reported to the ninth ASEM Summit which is slated for Nov. 5-6 in Vientiane, Laos.