Work is changing fast, and residents of European cities are feeling the effects directly. Across neighbourhoods, similar pressures surface again and again: parents unable to take up a job without access to childcare, workers whose wages no longer cover basic costs, young people trying to access labour markets, or older adults needing to retrain as their jobs evolve or disappear. These realities shaped discussions at the Eurocities Social Affairs Forum 2026 in Gijón, where city leaders, EU representatives and experts came together to reflect on skills, employment and job quality across generations. The discussion comes at a decisive moment for Europe’s social agenda, with negotiations on the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), the Union of Skills, the future Quality Jobs Act, the recently published anti-poverty strategy, and the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights. “Quality employment and social inclusion cannot be two separate goals,” said Angela Ángela Pumariega, Vice‑Mayor of Gijón, to open the Forum. She pointed to situations cities encounter every day, highlighting how access to work is closely tied to care responsibilities, education pathways and living conditions. For Myriam Bencharaa, Vice‑President of Lyon Metropole and Chair of the Forum, this close connection explains why cities must be central to Europe’s social agenda. “How can our cities shape a future of work where no generation and no talent is left behind; to be more inclusive, sustainable and family friendly, and to be more efficient?” As she reminded participants, “when we talk about jobs and skills, we talk about issues that affect every citizen.” Employment and skills policies, she argued, only make sense when they reflect people’s lived realities and local contexts. “Cities are not part of the solution, they are the solution” This strong local dimension was reinforced by Susana Solís Pérez, Member of the European Parliament,