The far right Vox group in the Council of Mallorca will table a motion on Thursday calling for an emergency plan to tackle youth unemployment with measures that give priority to residents of the island. In a statement, the party explained that the motion aims to address the rise in youth unemployment in Mallorca. Spokesperson Toni Gili denounced that the lack of job opportunities for those under 35 has become a ‘structural threat’ to Mallorca’s economic and social future.
Gili referred to unemployment and precariousness data, which he described as ‘a direct consequence of decades of misguided policies’ that have fostered a model that is overly dependent on seasonality and suffocating tax burdens. ‘We cannot allow the talent of our young people to be wasted in endless temporary contracts or, worse still, to be forced to leave their homeland because they cannot start a life project here,’ he said.
Vox has pointed out that the current education system is out of touch with the real needs of the labour market, which, combined with the rising cost of housing, prevents emancipation and drastically reduces the birth rate on the island. ‘The authorities cannot continue to limit themselves to ideological discourse while young Mallorcans are unable to make ends meet. We need less bureaucracy, lower taxes and strong support for businesses and the self-employed, who are the ones who really create jobs,’ he stressed.
The motion proposes a single agreement for the Council of Mallorca to urge the government to implement a specific plan to boost youth employment. The key points of the proposal include real incentives for permanent and quality employment, training programmes linked to the needs of the local productive fabric, measures to support youth entrepreneurship to facilitate self-employment, as well as priority for residents with actions aimed at giving young people in Mallorca preference in accessing job opportunities on their island. ‘It is time to move from diagnosis to results. Vox will always defend the culture of effort and merit, ensuring that the future of Mallorca involves providing stability to those who need it most today: our young people,’ concluded Gili.
High youth unemployment is a long-standing structural issue in Spain, attributed to factors like a high incidence of temporary contracts, an education system mismatching skills with job demands, and a high rate of early school leaving. The Spanish government, with EU support, has implemented plans like the Youth Guarantee Plus Plan 2021-2027 to improve qualifications and create stable job opportunities.