Low-wage jobs have been a focus of debate across Europe during 2016, the issues discussed also reflecting differing national concerns. For some countries, the key issue is integrating migrants into the labour market; for others, stimulating job creation. A new topical update examines the debate in six countries, illustrating a variety of objectives and responses. In Norway and Sweden, the priority
Countries across Europe are well aware of the need to embrace the digital transformation of the economy so that they are placed to reap its benefits. This was a point stressed in the contributions to Eurofound’s Foundation Seminar Series (FSS) 2016, the theme of which was the impact of digitalisation on work. The contributions, created by teams from 15 Member States, also highlighted the challenge
Between 2010 and 2015, as highlighted in the latest issue of Eurofound’s magazine Foundation Focus, there was an overall increase in the proportion of workers with some form of flexible working time and a decline in the extent of schedules with no possibility for change. In some countries, the proportion of workers with flexible arrangements has decreased (Bulgaria, Lithuania and Slovakia). In the
Four out of five European workers report that they have a good work–life balance. However, this implies that for one in five workers the balance between their work and their other obligations is not a good one.
The latest issue of Foundation Focus looks at work–life balance and some of the factors that help or hinder workers in combining working with non-working life. Improving work–life balanc
Eurofound’s newly launched programming document sets out the Agency’s planned work over the period 2017–2020. It outlines the policy and institutional context, describes the multiannual programme for the four-year period and details the work programme for 2017. This work will provide European decision-makers with an evidence base to formulate policies aimed at achieving upward convergence of livin
Mid-career reviews (MCR), where employers organise an assessment of workers in the workplace at a mid-point in their working life, are an important tool to ensure that workers' skills continue to match the job demands, or whether a change in tasks or career is required. Eurofound's new report Changing places: Mid-career review and internal mobility, launched in Brussels today, shows that timely mi
Eurofound has launched its new work programme for 2017 to 2020. This document sets out the activities the Agency plans to undertake in the next four years to support European decision-makers in formulating effective policies for the improvement of quality of life and work in a fair and competitive Europe during this challenging period.
Making work sustainable is not simply a challenge for politicians and policymakers in the European Union: it is a fundamental issue that underpins the future of the world of work in Europe. It goes beyond the mantra of raising employment rates and deals with productivity and innovation – and the everyday lives of workers throughout the EU.
Eurofound’s new report takes forward existing research on the labour market integration of refugees (those with the officially recognised status of international protection) and asylum seekers (those who have applied for international protection and are awaiting a decision). The report provides updated information on legislation and practical arrangements in the first half of 2016, examines labour
Two new studies presented today during the EU Agencies Forum at the European Parliament highlight the vast contribution of the 45 EU Agencies and Joint Undertakings to the economic and political development of the European Union
The reasons why people choose self-employment reflect both the choices available to them and the overall economic situation in their country. The sixth EWCS asked workers what was the main driver for becoming self-employed. The answers vary greatly between countries: 86% of self-employed workers in Sweden said they opted for self-employment ‘mainly through own personal preferences’. However, only
The European labour market is still largely dominated by traditional employment forms – permanent full-time contracts, or self-employment. However, there is a marked increase in new forms of employment that aim to align employers’ needs for flexibility with workers’ needs for security and stability. Strategic employee sharing provides the opportunity for a group of employers with recurring resourc
