Caritas Europa launches its CARES! European poverty report on labour market inclusion on 21 February. 

Four surprising facts you can find in the report: 

• 25% of young adults struggle to find a job because they lack the specific qualifications
• People who never thought they’d have to rely on Caritas suddenly became desperate for help
• Minimum wages vary widely across Europe - from €332 in Bulgaria to €2,202 in Luxembourg
• Due to job insecurity, lower pay and unequal caring responsibilities, women are more likely to struggle financially after retirement. 

Good news on inclusion policies in the new Caritas CARES! European poverty report: 

• In Latvia, a new agency now directly links Roma families to social service providers . 
• In Portugal, all migrants waiting for residency permits were regularised as COVID-19 started
• In Serbia, a “My First Salary” scheme will help 10,000 first-time jobseekers to find internships 

Caritas combats discrimination in the labour market with good practices. Did you know about the Sustainable Development Farm run by Caritas Sabac in Serbia? The farm employs people with physical and mental disabilities and produces delicious organic products.

From a commercial symbol to a place of social inclusion, supermarkets can have a new role as shown by the collaboration between Caritas Oesterreich and the supermarket chain SPAR in Austria. The project provides professional training to long-term unemployed persons.

You can hear more about this and other Caritas projects at the launch event of the CARES! European poverty report. Register here https://www.caritas.eu/how-inclusive-are-our-labour-market-really/