On 21 June, the International Labour Organisation adopted a convention and a number of recommendations that are to contribute to the prevention of violence and harassment in workplaces around the world. The Confederation of Danish Employers supports the spirit of the convention, but does not view it as a suitable tool for bringing the efforts against vio-lence and harassment in other countries up to the level of efforts seen in Denmark.

On June 5, the European Commission put forward the country-specific recommendations as part of the European Semester for 2019. In its recommendations for Denmark, the Commission points to the need for investment in training and skills. The Confederation of Danish Employers welcomes the recommendation, but reminds that labour shortages can-not be solved by investing in education and training alone.

The Danish labour market is unique in the way it is regulated, since there is no comprehensive governmental interference or legislation regarding wages and working conditions. There is a clear division of responsibility between the government and the social partners in relation to labour market policies.

EU Member States have experienced an increase in employment of 13 million people since 2013. In the same period, unemployment has fallen by approx. 9 million people. The current recruitment situation in Europe at the beginning of 2019 is more critical than immediately prior to the financial crisis in 2008 when the European labour market was overheating. This means that employers in a number of EU Member States are experiencing problems in recruiting qualified staff. EU Member States are therefore facing a significant challenge that may risk obstructing growth and employment in the coming years.