European Working Conditions Surveys (EWCS)
Every five years, the Foundation conducts a survey to study working conditions in Europe. The survey has been carried out four times: in 1990/91, 1995/96, 2000 (extended to cover the 10 new member states, Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey in 2001/02) and 2005 (31 countries). The full descriptive report of the EWCS 2005 is available.
The newly available survey mapping tool enables users to select findings they wish to view from the fourth EWCS and select the display – for instance, by country or gender and in tabular, bar chart or map format.
Fieldwork for the Foundation's most recent instance of the European Working Conditions Survey was carried out in all EU25 countries (plus Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, Croatia, Norway and Switzerland) during autumn 2005.
The surveys provide an overview of the state of working conditions throughout Europe, and indicate the extent and type of changes affecting the workforce and the quality of work. The recurring nature of the survey gives a picture of trends in working conditions throughout Europe. Previous datasets have been used by third parties (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008) for further research.
The survey questionnaire has expanded from twenty questions in the first edition to nearly one hundred questions and sub-questions in 2005. Topics covered in the survey include working time, work organisation, pay, work-related health risks and health outcomes, and access to training.
The European surveys on working conditions use the random walk procedure, a method of selecting a random sample in door to door surveys. The respondents (employees and self-employed people) were interviewed face-to-face in their own homes outside normal working hours.