Discover the highlights of the 2025 European Employment and Social Rights Forum

This year edition of the European Employment and Social Rights Forum, Europe’s largest annual event on employment and social affairs, took place on 5–6 March at The Egg in Brussels

Over 4,500 people registered for the Forum, with more than 1,000 attending in person. 

The event featured 20 dynamic sessions and 69 speakers, including influential leaders such as:

• Roxana Mînzatu, Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness of the European Commission
• Mario Nava, Director-General, Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion
• Sanna Marin, former Prime Minister of Finland
• Li Andersson, Member of the European Parliament and Chair of the Employment and Social Rights Committee
• Niki Kerameus, Minister of Labour and Social Security of Greece
• Ryan Roslansky, CEO of LinkedIn
• Chuck Robbins, Chair and CEO of Cisco

Executive Vice-President Roxana Mînzatu presented the Union of Skills, an EU initiative designed to address skills shortages and labour mismatches while preparing Europe for digital and green transitions. On the sidelines of the Forum, Executive Vice-President  Mînzatu participated in a dynamic Youth Policy Dialogue, discussing the challenges young people face in securing quality jobs.

The second day of the Forum featured breakout sessions on various aspects of employment policy, including the role of work integration social enterprises in supporting disadvantaged groups, Europe’s journey to becoming both competitive and inclusive, and the promotion of adult learning through individual learning accounts. 

Additional topics included recent research findings on skills, digital tools for mobility within the EU, success stories from ESF+ programmes, the Social Climate Fund, and evolving retirement paths through financial skills and awareness. 

Recordings of all sessions are available now on our website. We invite you to rewatch the key moments of our event here and a wrap-up video here.

If you are interested in the next chapter – the EU Social Forum 2026 – sign up to our mailing list to stay informed and receive the latest updates.