Topics: Children-youth

Good news on job quality for expanding European workforce - but survey highlights deep gender, generational and sectoral divides

14 April 2026 09:00

The new European Working Conditions Survey 2024 Overview report shows that job quality in Europe is improving, with long working hours and physically arduous working conditions on the decline. The share of employees working more than 48 hours per week has fallen since 2005. However, inequalities at the workplace persist, with women experiencing a deteriorating social environment at work.

International Women's Day 2026: Is work in Europe more stressful for women?

5 March 2026 10:00

At VoxBox Studios in the European Parliament, MEP Maria Walsh and Eurofound’s Barbara Gerstenberger mark International Women’s Day by analyzing gender equality data from 36,000 workers across 35 countries. They discuss the shift from industrial labor to modern challenges like burnout and technostress.

Wellbeing and social cohesion falter in Europe despite economic progress

27 February 2026 09:00

As policymakers, social partners and civil society prepare for the European Employment and Social Rights Forum in Brussels next week, a new episode of the Eurofound Talks podcast looks at latest results from Eurofound’s eighth Living and Working in the EU e-survey, and the actions that could be taken to respond to the social challenges that it highlights.

How bad is Europe's youth housing crisis?

4 February 2026 13:00

The generational housing crisis is the focus of the most recent episode of Eurofound Talks, as Mary McCaughey sits down with Marie Hyland, a lead author of the newly released report, Foundational challenges: The housing struggles of Europe’s youth.

Overheated and underprepared: European survey finds citizens concerned about heat and ability to cope with climate change

4 February 2026 08:00

Europeans are very concerned about extreme heat and other impacts of climate change like wildfires according to the results of a Europe-wide survey published today. It found that many citizens were also underprepared to deal with the increasing frequency and magnitude of heatwaves, flooding, or water shortages in their own homes.

New survey shows Europeans face mounting financial strain, housing insecurity as institutional trust wavers

21 January 2026 15:00

Increasing economic divergence and a profound sense of precariousness permeate the European Union today, according to new results from Eurofound’s eighth Living and Working in the EU e-survey.

How can we ensure that the EU is accountable to its citizens?

19 January 2026 16:00

In an era where public trust is paramount, the latest episode of the Eurofound Talks looks at the mechanisms that keep the European Union transparent and fiscally responsible. Host Mary McCaughey sits down with Tony Murphy, President of the European Court of Auditors (ECA), to discuss the critical role of financial oversight in safeguarding the European project.

Over 80% of median wage required to rent two-room apartment in Bulgaria, Ireland, Poland, Portugal, Spain

8 January 2026 10:00

Young adults are disproportionately affected by soaring prices and rents, with average EU sale prices and rents increasing by 55.4% and 26.7% respectively since 2010, often far outpacing income growth. These averages mask even more severe problems in certain Member States, in larger cities and for younger cohorts according to Eurofound’s new report.

Tackling climate change is fundamental to job quality in Europe

15 December 2025 10:30

Tackling climate change is not merely an environmental policy goal but a fundamental necessity for maintaining job quality and economic stability across Europe, according to new analysis discussed on the latest Eurofound Talks podcast.

Europe’s productivity slowdown poses global competitiveness challenges

5 December 2025 10:00

The new episode of Eurofound Talks looks at why Europe has experienced a more profound slowdown in growth compared to other developed regions, and why greater labour input and higher human capital not translated into higher output per worker.

Can Europe’s social model drive competitiveness? Leaders debate in Dublin as Eurofound marks 50 years

12 November 2025 11:00

Is Europe’s traditional social model the key to its competitiveness? This question will take centre stage in Dublin on 19-20 November as political leaders, policymakers, social partners and civil society gather for Eurofound’s 8th Foundation Forum, marking its 50th anniversary.

'Don’t use AI for the sake of AI’: Eurofound and EU-OSHA call for a human-centred approach to AI deployment

10 November 2025 09:00

The new episode of Eurofound Talks, published today, looks at whether AI is making work safer in Europe. The discussion takes the listener from the macro-level geopolitical considerations around AI, to how it is impacting workers on an everyday basis throughout Europe, and is essential listening for those interested in, or working on the topic.

Housing crisis strikes further blow to Europe's deepening wealth inequality

17 October 2025 08:00

The new episode of Eurofound Talks, published on International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, looks in-depth at Europe’s wealth divide. Mary McCaughey speaks with Eurofound researchers Carlos Vacas and Eszter Sandor about how wealth inequality remains as intractable as ever – despite positive developments in recent years on wages and improvements in general working conditions.

30 million jobs added to EU labour market over past 30 years

23 September 2025 11:00

Eurofound’s new report Structural change in EU labour markets: A generation of employment shifts details a dramatic rebalancing of employment away from traditional industries towards a burgeoning service economy.

Housing policy is key to bridging Europe’s persistent wealth divide

15 September 2025 13:00

Housing policy has emerged as a critical factor in shaping household prosperity in a new report from Eurofound which confirms persistent wealth inequality across the EU. Based on data from 2010 to 2021, the fresh analysis reveals that wealth distribution is more unevenly distributed than income, highlighting the disproportionate control of assets by a small portion of the population.

Europe’s workers value safety, trust, and well-being but diverging attitudes evident on technological change

11 September 2025 15:00

Europe’s workers value safety, trust, and well-being above pay, according to the first findings of the flagship 2024 pan-European Working Conditions Survey. New findings reveal an overall upward trend in job quality but also expose a workforce grappling with new and persistent health challenges and divergent attitudes to the technological change.

Is Europe’s mental health still in crisis?

10 September 2025 07:00

In the latest episode of Eurofound Talks, published today for World Suicide Prevention Day, Mary McCaughey speaks with Senior Research Manager Hans Dubois about concerning trends highlighted in Eurofound’s new report, Mental health: Risk groups, trends, services and policies.

New pan-European survey reveals stark inequalities in working conditions

3 September 2025 17:57

Results from Eurofound’s pan-European flagship survey reveal significant improvements in job quality over the past decade but highlight stark inequalities between women and men, as well as radically different situations for workers in different parts of Europe.

Ireland increases mental health provision amidst growing social and economic challenges

2 September 2025 15:45

Problematical social media use affects a quarter of young girls in Ireland, economic pressures impact the mental health of 32% of the population, and 17% of those in rural areas report a lack of services mental health.

New study finds suicide is now the leading cause of death for young people in Europe

2 September 2025 15:30

The long-term decline in suicide death rates across the EU has stalled, marking an alarming reflection of poor mental health in Europe. Suicide accounted for 18.9% of deaths among 15–29-year-olds in 2021, ahead of traffic collisions (16.5%). Eurofound analysis also reveals that in 2021, poor mental health resulted in 11.1 million years of life lost or lived with disability.