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Unemployment

Long-term unemployment, youth unemployment, and the increase in underemployed or involuntary part-time workers remains a concern in many Member States. Unemployment, and especially long-term unemployment, increases a person's risk of social exclusion, poverty and inequality, and adds to the cost of social services and public finances. According to the European Pillar of Social Rights, unemployed people have the right to personalised, continuous and consistent support, including adequate unemployment benefits of reasonable duration.

Topic

Recent updates

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Social protection for the unemployed - Background paper

This background paper focuses on one important aspect of social protection: unemployment benefits, both first tier (usually contributory) and lower tier (predominantly tax-based, non-contributory and means-tested). Unemployment benefits help to...

2 February 2024
Publication
Customised report
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Social protection and SURE

Presentation made at the 'Informal meeting of Employment and Social Affairs Ministers (EPSCO)' by Ivailo Kalfin, Executive Director, Eurofound and Prof. dr. Paul Schoukens, Full Professor, KU Leuven. Belgian Presidency...

Presentation

Data

Living, working and COVID-19 e-survey data (job insecurity)
EU PolicyWatch database (measures to support unemployed people)

Eurofound expert(s)

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Massimiliano Mascherini

Massimiliano Mascherini has been Head of the Social Policies unit at Eurofound since October 2019. He joined Eurofound in 2009 as a research manager, designing and coordinating...

Head of Unit,
Social policies research unit
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Tadas Leončikas

Tadas Leončikas is Head of the Employment unit at Eurofound since September 2022. Prior to this, he was a senior research manager in the Social Policies unit, managing the European...

Head of Unit,
Employment research unit
Publications results (18)
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Upward convergence in employment and socioeconomic factors

Upward convergence is a process whereby the performance of EU Member States in a given domain or range of domains is seen to improve while gaps between Member States reduce. Achieving upward convergence is of crucial importance to the EU, as the increase of disparities among Member States threatens

25 September 2019
Publication
Research report
Social policies
Promoting social cohesion and convergence
Social protection
Working conditions and sustainable work
Working conditions
Unemployment
Minimum wage
Employment and labour markets
Inclusive labour markets
Living conditions
Inequality
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Social insecurities and resilience

Feelings of insecurity in several dimensions of life are widespread in the EU population, even among those who are materially well-off. Policymakers need to take these insecurities into account to better understand the concerns and dissatisfactions of citizens.

09 October 2018
Publication
Policy brief
Retirement
Quality of society
Social protection
Subjective well-being
Trust
Unemployment
Employment status
Care
Living conditions
Living conditions and quality of life

Estimating labour market slack in the European Union

Labour market slack is the shortfall between the volume of work desired by workers and the actual volume of work available. The most important indicator of labour slack is the unemployment rate, but an exclusive focus on this fails to take account of the four-fifths of the jobless population who are

18 July 2017
Publication
Research report
Social protection
Unemployment
Inclusive labour markets
Employment status
Labour market policies
Job creation
Employment and labour markets

Foundation Findings: Work preferences after 50

This policy brief highlights findings on a specific topic from Eurofound’s European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS) that is of particular interest from a policy perspective. It brings results of the analysis of these data together with evidence from other Eurofound projects to formulate a number of

14 June 2014
Publication
Foundation Findings
Retirement
Living conditions and quality of life
Social policies
Social protection
Working time
Sustainable work
Unemployment
Gender equality
Living conditions
Labour market policies
Ageing workforce
Working conditions and sustainable work

Foundation Focus: Job creation, job preservation or job loss? The future of Europe’s labour market

This issue of Foundation Focus looks at the state of play of the European labour market and what governments, social partners and companies are doing to overcome the crisis. Over the last few years, many jobs have been lost, and mass unemployment has become the reality in some Member States

19 March 2013
Publication
Foundation Focus
Social inclusion
Living conditions and quality of life
Public services
Unemployment
Employment structure
Job creation
Employment and labour markets

Employment and disability - Avoiding a one-way street

Chronic illness and disability play a key role in unemployment and exclusion from the workplace. When reading about ‘people with disabilities’, most people think of people born with an obvious disability or who have acquired a disability through illness or injury later in life. However, in relation

19 January 2010
Publication
Information sheet
Disability and chronic disease
Employment and labour markets
Living conditions and quality of life
Social policies
Social protection
Unemployment
Youth

Restructuring in bankruptcy: recent national case examples

Cases of bankruptcy generally have more serious consequences for the workers who lose their jobs as a result since, unlike other cases of restructuring, the company concerned might have little or no possibility of providing support, either financial or practical. The number of bankruptcy cases has

08 December 2009
Publication
Research report
Restructuring
Working conditions
Unemployment
Employment and labour markets
Labour and social regulation

ERM case studies: The consequences of mergers and acquisitions

This report explores the consequences of mergers and acquisitions for the companies and employees involved, as well as for the wider economy, on the basis of in-depth company case studies in 25 EU Member States and Norway. The study aims to summarise the features of the mergers or acquisitions

24 February 2009
Publication
Case study
Restructuring
Social partners
Working conditions
Unemployment
Employment and labour markets
Online resources results (67)

Social protection and SURE

Presentation made at the 'Informal meeting of Employment and Social Affairs Ministers (EPSCO)' by Ivailo Kalfin, Executive Director, Eurofound and Prof. dr. Paul Schoukens, Full Professor, KU Leuven. Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Namur, 11-12 January 2024.

11 January 2024
Presentation
Social protection
Employment status
Unemployment
Employment and labour markets

Slovakia: latest working life developments Q2 2018

An increase in wage supplements, easier access for people from countries outside the EU to join the Slovak labour market and new legislation for social enterprises are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life in Slovakia in

11 September 2018
Article
Collective bargaining
Inclusive labour markets
Job creation
Labour law
Labour market policies
Migration and mobility
Pay and income
Social inclusion
Unemployment
Working conditions
Employment and labour markets
Working conditions and sustainable work

Czech Republic: latest working life developments Q2 2018

The new government taking office, a new low for the unemployment rate, the end of cheap labour and a call for more foreign workers are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life in the Czech Republic in the second quarter of

6 September 2018
Article
Collective bargaining
Employment and labour markets
Labour market policies
Pay and income
Unemployment

Young people and long-term unemployed – Remaining challenges in the labour market

Young people and long-term unemployed – Remaining challenges in the labour market Informal Meeting of Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO) - Employment & Social Policy, 17-18 April 2018, Sofia, Bulgaria Presentation by Juan Menéndez-Valdés, Director, Eurofound

17 April 2018
Presentation
Employment and labour markets
NEETs
Unemployment
Youth

United Kingdom: Latest working life developments – Q4 2017

Brexit talks and the EU (Withdrawal) Bill, easing the pay cap for some NHS staff and tougher action for non-payment of the national minimum wage are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life in the United Kingdom in the fourth

24 January 2018
Article
Labour market participation
Unemployment

Czech Republic: Trade unions push for wages growth

An expanding economy, low unemployment rate and the need for qualified workers is creating favourable conditions for wages growth in the Czech Republic, with trade unions taking full advantage of the economy’s healthy condition. An increase in the minimum wage is also proposed for 2018. However

18 September 2017
Article
Minimum wage
Unemployment

Spain: Latest working life developments – Q3 2016

A slight fall in unemployment and trade union concerns over labour precariousness, and the need for social partners to reach agreement on a new salary pact are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life in Spain in the third

19 October 2016
Article
Pay and income
Job creation
Non-standard employment
Unemployment
Collective bargaining
Labour and social regulation
Working conditions
Industrial relations
Working conditions and sustainable work
Industrial relations and social dialogue

Norway: New legislation on temporary layoffs

New regulations on temporary layoffs have been introduced by the Norwegian Government at the request of the social partners. The new legislation extends the maximum duration of temporary layoffs, aiming to avoid unnecessary direct layoffs in a time of rising unemployment.

31 August 2016
Article
Unemployment
Collective bargaining
Working conditions
Employment and labour markets
Industrial relations
Labour and social regulation
Working conditions and sustainable work
Industrial relations and social dialogue

Sweden: No signs of lowered entry-level wages in 2016 bargaining round

In preparation for the 2016 wage bargaining round, debates on how to reduce unemployment among low-skilled workers and new immigrants dominated the news in Sweden. Suggestions included lowering minimum wages and introducing so-called ‘simple jobs’. However, the debates had little impact on the

15 June 2016
Article
Working poor
Labour market policies
Unemployment
Collective bargaining
Working conditions
Employment and labour markets
Industrial relations
Labour and social regulation
Working conditions and sustainable work
Industrial relations and social dialogue

Austria: Developments in working life – Q1 2016

The results of a competence check of refugees, several labour law reforms and moderate wage increases are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life in Austria in the first quarter of 2016.

3 May 2016
Article
Migration and mobility
Skills and training
Working time
Unemployment
Collective bargaining
Labour law
Working conditions
Working conditions and sustainable work
Blogs results (9)
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Two worlds of income support during COVID-19

​​​​​​​To date, close to six million workers in the EU have lost their jobs due to COVID-19. Many businesses have closed their doors forever or been pushed to the brink, bringing severe financial and psychological hardship to the individuals and families affected. However, the toll of the pandemic

9 February 2021
Tina Weber
Blog
COVID-19
Employment and labour markets
Labour market policies
Pay and income
Social protection
Unemployment
Working time
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COVID-19: A tale of two service sectors

The employment fallout of COVID-19 has been a story of two types of service work. Office-based knowledge workers have largely kept their jobs and incomes while participating in the huge and apparently successful ad hoc social experiment in working from home. Client-facing service workers have borne

2 February 2021
John Hurley
Blog
COVID-19
Employment and labour markets
Employment structure
Gender equality
Unemployment
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COVID-19 fallout takes a higher toll on women, economically and domestically

​​​​​​​While women appear to be more resilient than men to COVID-19 in terms of health outcomes, that is not the case when it comes to the economic and social fallout. Measures taken by governments to control the spread of the virus are exacerbating gender divides in unemployment, domestic labour

3 June 2020
Massimiliano Mascherini
Blog
COVID-19
Psychosocial risks
Living conditions and quality of life
Unemployment
Work-life balance
Gender equality
Teleworking
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Is history repeating itself? The impact of the COVID-19 crisis on youth

While we now know that the idea that ‘COVID-19 only affects older people’ is fake news, the first weeks of the pandemic have shown that young people are in general more resilient than older people to the disease. But are they also more resilient to its social and economic impacts?

18 May 2020
Massimiliano Mascherini
Blog
COVID-19
Trust
Living conditions and quality of life
Youth
Subjective well-being
Unemployment
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Trust tensions highlight need for Europe to ensure a coordinated response to COVID-19

The impact of COVID-19 continues to create chaos in people’s lives across Europe and the world. The economy is heading towards another major dip, and a sense of general insecurity pervades. The daunting challenges confronting health services and projections on the long-term impact of the crisis

12 May 2020
Juan Menéndez-Valdés
Blog
COVID-19
Trust
Living conditions and quality of life
Youth
Subjective well-being
Unemployment
Work-life balance
Teleworking
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Europe’s long-term issue: Youth unemployment

Europe has weathered a number of storms in recent years, yet despite the Great Recession, the migration crisis and the challenges posed by Brexit, the EU continues on a stable path to economic recovery, closer cooperation and cohesion. However, the legacy of the crisis lives on in the number of

3 May 2018
James Higgins
Blog
Employment and labour markets
NEETs
Unemployment
Youth
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Long-term unemployed youth: The legacy of the crisis

In this blog, originally posted in Social Europe, Massimiliano Mascherini looks at the enduring issue of long-term unemployment among young people. Despite considerable improvement in the labour market participation of youth in recent years, the legacy of the crisis is still visible in the

17 April 2018
Massimiliano Mascherini
Blog
Social policies
Youth
Trust
Unemployment
NEETs
Employment and labour markets
Inclusive labour markets
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The hidden potential of Europe’s economically inactive

In this blog piece, originally published in Social Europe, Eurofound Research Manager Anna Ludwinek looks at the substantial section of the population that is not working and does not figure in unemployment statistics, but retains significant employment potential.

20 December 2017
Anna Ludwinek
Blog
Living conditions and quality of life
Unemployment
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Avoiding the quick fix approach to solving youth unemployment

A key priority for EU policy makers is to combat high levels of youth unemployment. Supporting young people to start a new business is increasingly regarded as a way to achieve this goal. And yet the understanding of what drives the success and failure of youth entrepreneurship policies remains

18 April 2016
Sara Riso
Blog
Entrepreneurship
Employment and labour markets
Unemployment
Youth
Upcoming publications results (1)

Social protection 2.0 - Unemployment and minimum income schemes

Social protection can include a range of entitlements to monetary and in-kind benefits. Eurofound’s project focuses on unemployment and minimum income benefits. Social protection can provide a safety net for people who are negatively impacted by the green and digital transitions. During the COVID-19

September 2024
Forthcoming
Publication
Research report
Social protection
Public services
Living conditions and quality of life
Unemployment

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