• Areas of Expertise:
  • Business and society
  • Diversity
  • Employment status
  • Gender
  • Health
  • Human capital
  • Industrial change
  • Industrial relations
  • Labour market
  • Participation at work
  • Population and society
  • Quality of life
  • Quality of work
  • Social cohesion
  • Social protection
  • Time
  • Work-life balance
  • Work organisation

European Restructuring Monitor

The European Restructuring Monitor (ERM) provides comparable and up-to-date information on how restructuring processes impact on employment in the EU 27 countries and Norway. The ERM is a tool established by the EMCC (European Monitoring Centre on Change) in 2003.

In order to maintain their competitiveness, businesses need to be able to adapt to globalisation and the internationalisation of markets. Company restructuring has become a worldwide phenomenon, impacting on employment not only from a quantitative point of view but also from a qualitative point of view. The task of the ERM consists in providing a quick overview on restructuring processes. In particular, the ERM provides fundamental information on companies affected by restructuring processes and the impact of the latter on employment.

The information collected is the result of an analysis of daily newspapers and business press in the EU 27 countries and Norway. In order to complete the background information, other sources are used such as company websites, social partner websites and other specific sources dealing with restructuring processes. A European network of experts – mainly economists, sociologists and journalists specialised in industrial relations – are in charge of information collection. The ERM Quarterly summarises the restructuring cases every three months, providing also indications on future developments.

ERM takes into account only those restructuring cases that meet certain criteria. The cases must:

• affect at least one EU country;
• provide for a reduction or increase in employment of at least 100 jobs; or
• involve at least 10% of workforce in sites with more than 250 employees.

Each restructuring case is recorded in a standardised ‘factsheet’, in order to provide for a statistical comparison by diverse categories: country, sector and type of restructuring. Each factsheet also includes other fields providing further information on:

• the number of planned job cuts including direct dismissals and other alternative measurements for decreasing employment at company level;
• the number of jobs created;
• the announcement date in the press and the job reduction timeline;
• the company name and the group it belongs to;
• the units involved in restructuring,
• the management of restructuring;
• the sources used.

See also: European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working conditions