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Job creation

Job creation refers to the process of providing new jobs, especially for people who were previously unemployed or inactive. Job creation is a key priority for EU social and employment policy. 

Topic

Recent updates

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European Restructuring Monitor

Since 2002, the European Restructuring Monitor (ERM) has been monitoring the employment impact of large-scale restructuring events in Europe and covers the 27 EU Member States plus Norway.

Web page

Eurofound research

Research carries out research on employment and changing labour markets, restructuring and job creation in the EU Member States. The investigation of factors supporting or inhibiting job creation also requires access to company-level information. Eurofound has conducted four editions of its European Company Survey (ECS) since 2003, providing comparative evidence on company practices and their link to innovation and job creation.

Jobs monitor

Eurofound’s European Jobs Monitor (EJM) looks in detail at recent shifts in employment at Member State and aggregate EU levels, covering cases of job creation and job loss by occupation and sector.

Publication: European Jobs Monitor 2021: Gender gaps and the employment structure

 

Restructuring monitor

The European Restructuring Monitor (ERM) has recently explored the case of SMEs, meaning companies with fewer than 250 employees, as a source of job creation. It found that SMEs are likely to have contributed to improved employment levels and increasingly gain attention as a source of job creation in Europe. However, due to the large scale of the SME population, there is considerable heterogeneity among them, and not all are equally dynamic job creators.

Born globals

‘Born global’ enterprises – young companies with an international mindset – are also dynamic in job creation, despite their low share among enterprises. Eurofound research has looked at the potential of job creation in these new international businesses. It characterises born globals and outline their main strengths and weaknesses, as well as economic and labour market potential. 

Sector focus

A study on the creation of more and better jobs in home-care services highlights the persistent labour shortages in the health and social care sector. It analyses initiatives that were successful in either creating more jobs in the sector, or improving the quality of its jobs, with the dual aim of attracting new recruits and retaining existing staff.

As part of a pilot project on the future of manufacturing in Europe from 2015 to 2018, Eurofound gathered information on the reshoring of manufacturing and other value-chain activities to the EU and the resulting job gains.

Key outputs

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Reshoring in Europe: Overview 2015–2018

Reshoring – namely the relocation of value chain activities back to the home country or its nearby region – has attracted an increasing interest both among scholars and policymakers. The...

1 April 2019
Publication
Research report
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More and better jobs in home-care services

As Europe’s population ages, the number of adults needing long-term care is increasing. There are, however, persistent labour shortages in the health and social care sector; well-qualified staff are particularly...

10 September 2013
Publication
Research report

EU context

The European Commission’s Investment Plan for Europe adopted in November 2014 focuses on creating jobs and boosting growth by making smarter use of financial resources, removing obstacles to investment and providing visibility and technical assistance to investment projects. Building on this, the InvestEU Programme 2021–2027 will further boost investment, innovation and job creation by making EU funding simpler to access and more effective. 

Research shows that the strongest recent structural employment growth was recorded in the health and care sectors and in information and communication technologies. Both sectors have strong potential for continued job creation, along with green jobs, as highlighted in the Commission’s 2012 ‘Employment package’. 

The Commission has recognised the contribution of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to economic development and labour markets in the EU, and it supports SMEs through a variety of policies and instruments. In 2016, the European Parliament issued a resolution on how best to support the job creation potential of SMEs.

Eurofound’s work on job creation links in with the Commission’s 2019–2024 priority on an economy that works for people. 

 

European Industrial Relations Dictionary 

Eurofound expert(s)

John Hurley

John Hurley

John Hurley is a senior research manager in the Employment unit at Eurofound. He took up the role of research manager in February 2012. He is responsible for the European...

Senior research manager,
Employment research unit
Publications results (108)

Occupational change and wage inequality: European Jobs Monitor 2017

In 2016, somewhat later than in other developed economies, the EU recovered all the net employment losses sustained since the global financial crisis. Employment growth since 2013 has been only modestly skewed towards well-paid jobs; growth has been robust in low-paid and mid-paid jobs too. Newer

26 June 2017
Publication
Research report
Non-standard employment
Working poor
Gender equality
Inequality
Job creation
Employment and labour markets

ERM annual report 2016: Globalisation slowdown? Recent evidence of offshoring and reshoring in Europe

The 2016 annual report from the European Restructuring Monitor (ERM) provides evidence of the employment impact of recent restructuring activity in Europe based on the European Union Labour Force Survey (EU-LFS) and the ERM events database. The thematic part of this year’s report centres on trends

01 February 2017
Publication
Annual report
Restructuring
Employment structure
Labour market policies
Job creation
Employment and labour markets

Employment effects of reduced non-wage labour costs

Reducing labour taxes or offering incentives to hire new workers could motivate employers to either retain staff who might otherwise have been let go or to create new jobs. Since the onset of the financial crisis in 2008, both types of measure have been deployed in many EU Member States.

30 January 2017
Publication
Research report
Inclusive labour markets
Labour market policies
Job creation
Employment and labour markets

ERM Quarterly - Quarter 4, January 2017

In the 1990s, Alan Greenspan talked of ‘irrational exuberance’ in the stock markets. Unfounded optimism had driven share prices up to values that no rational analysis of company or country performance could justify. At the end of 2016, the Financial Times marked the end of the year by talking of

26 January 2017
Publication
ERM Quarterly
Employment structure
Job creation
Employment and labour markets
Restructuring

Low-wage jobs – an efficient tool to combat unemployment?

Low-wage jobs have been a focus of debate in six countries across Europe during 2016. However, the issues discussed have reflected differing national concerns. For some countries, the key issue is the integration of migrants into the labour market; for others, how to stimulate job creation and

23 December 2016
Publication
Research report
Inclusive labour markets
Job creation
Employment and labour markets
Migration and mobility
Minimum wage
Working conditions
Working poor
Working conditions and sustainable work

ERM Quarterly - Quarter 3, October 2016

The IMF, in its October World economic outlook, has revised forecasts for global growth downwards to 3.1% in 2016. Sub-par growth in the developed world economies risks perpetuating itself, according to the Fund.

27 October 2016
Publication
ERM Quarterly
Restructuring
Job creation
Employment structure
Employment and labour markets

ERM Quarterly - Quarter 2, July 2016

The principal political event of the quarter has been the decision of the UK electorate in favour of ‘Brexit’ from the European Union in a referendum held on 23 June. The outcome was a surprise and went against the counsel of most economists, policymakers and international organisations as well as

27 July 2016
Publication
ERM Quarterly
Job creation
Employment structure
Restructuring
Employment and labour markets

What do Europeans do at work? A task-based analysis: European Jobs Monitor 2016

The European Jobs Monitor 2016 looks at 2011 Q2–2015 Q2 employment shifts at Member State and aggregate EU level. A ‘jobs-based’ approach is used to describe employment shifts quantitatively (how many jobs were created or destroyed) and qualitatively (what kinds of jobs). It also introduces a new

20 June 2016
Publication
Research report
Employment structure
Employment and labour markets
Anticipating and managing the impact of change
Digitalisation
Labour market policies
Job creation

ERM Quarterly - Quarter 1, April 2016

In its latest World economic outlook (April 2016), the IMF has again lowered global growth forecasts for the coming year. Two factors cited for this more downbeat assessment are weak growth in developing economies, notably China, and ‘political discord’ in other major economies.

26 April 2016
Publication
ERM Quarterly
Job creation
Employment structure
Restructuring
Employment and labour markets

Start-up support for young people in the EU: From implementation to evaluation

Against a background of high youth unemployment, policymakers are paying more attention to encouraging young people to start their own businesses as a means of easing their entry into the labour market.

13 April 2016
Publication
Research report
Non-standard employment
Youth
NEETs
Entrepreneurship
Inclusive labour markets
Job creation
Employment and labour markets
Online resources results (44)

Signs of growth in UK automotive industry offset plant closures

This feature highlights the main restructuring and industrial relations developments in the UK automotive sector over the last 12 months.

19 May 2002
Article
Job creation
Employment and labour markets

Unemployment rises again

For the first time since 1994, unemployment rose in Spain in 2001, particularly from August onward. Whereas the government claims that the change is due to the international situation, the trade unions are calling for more substantial employment policies.

3 February 2002
Article
Unemployment
Labour market policies
Job creation
Employment and labour markets

IG Metall presents first findings of its debate on the future

In 1999, the IG Metall metalworkers' trade union decided to hold a 'debate on the future' (Zukunftsdebatte [1]), in order to examine the sustainability of its work in respect of both trade union activities and society as a whole, and relating to its programme and its strategic aims and targets. The

20 November 2001
Article
Social partners
Job creation
Working time
Working conditions
Employment and labour markets
Working conditions and sustainable work

IG Metall and VW fail to agree on terms for creation of 5,000 new jobs

In a sixth round of talks on 25 June 2001, Volkswagen AG (VW AG) and the IG Metall metalworkers' trade union failed to agree on acceptable pay and employment conditions for new jobs to be created at the company's production sites at Wolfsburg and Hannover.

27 July 2001
Article
Job creation
Working time
Pay and income
Working conditions
Employment and labour markets
Working conditions and sustainable work

2001 NAP focuses on growth and employment

Finland's National Action Plan () for employment for 2001 [1], in response to the EU Employment Guidelines [2], was presented in May 2001. [1] http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/news/2001/may/nap2001fi_en.pdf [2] http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/empl&esf/docs/com2001_64_en.pdf

27 July 2001
Article
Labour market policies
Job creation
Retirement
Skills and training
Gender equality
Employment and labour markets

Employers debate challenge of employment

In February 2001, Greece's SEV employers' federation held a seminar on "the challenge of employment". With Greek unemployment - in contrast to most other EU Member States - still rising, the employers examined the current situation and prospects and drew up a set of proposals on issues such as

27 May 2001
Article
Social partners
Unemployment
Job creation
Job quality
Working conditions
Employment and labour markets
Working conditions and sustainable work

Milan employment pact assessed - one year on

In February 2000, an employment pact was signed for the city of Milan, Italy, with the aim of fostering the employment of people from socially disadvantaged groups. One year later, projects have been approved which involve the creation of around 1,000 jobs. The city council and the social partner

27 March 2001
Article
Job creation
Non-standard employment
Ageing workforce
Migration and mobility
Skills and training
Employment and labour markets

Unemployment rate falls

The unemployment rate in France fell from 12.6% in June 1997 to 9% in January 2001, and labour shortages are starting to appear in some sectors. In early 2001, there has been considerable debate among the social partners and other parties as to the respective roles in the reduction of unemployment

27 March 2001
Article
Unemployment
Job creation
Labour market policies
Working time
Social protection
Employment and labour markets

Negotiations over 35-hour week in banking

During the second half of 2000, agreements on introducing the 35-hour working week were signed in France's major banks, after the sectoral-level social partners failed to deal with the issue in an industry-wide agreement concluded in January. Sectoral negotiations will now deal with working time

27 December 2000
Article
Working time
Collective bargaining
Work organisation
Job creation
Retirement
Employment and labour markets
Industrial relations
Social policies
Industrial relations and social dialogue

2000 collective bargaining round progresses relatively quietly

The average wage increase amounted to 3.4% in the most important collective agreements concluded in the Netherlands' 2000 collective bargaining round up until the end of June. It is noteworthy that numerous agreements now include agreements on performance-based payment in some form. It is also

27 July 2000
Article
Collective bargaining
Pay and income
Job quality
Skills and training
Job creation
Retirement
Social protection
Working conditions
Employment and labour markets
Industrial relations
Social policies
Working conditions and sustainable work
Industrial relations and social dialogue
Blogs results (6)
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Europe’s low-carbon transition makes economic sense

At the very outset of its mandate, the new European Commission presented the European Green Deal, establishing the objective of becoming the first climate-neutral bloc in the world by 2050. The initiative emphasises the seriousness which the European Commission places on the climate and biodiversity

21 February 2020
James Higgins
Blog
Employment and labour markets
European Green Deal
Industrial policy
Job creation
Just transition
Labour market policies
Structural change
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Where are all the good jobs?

Economic disparities have been decreasing between EU member states over the past decade, but at the same time inequality has been growing within member states. Despite national level convergence, the gap in wealth and income between the rich and the poor is growing in most of Europe. Some of this

29 October 2019
John Hurley
Blog
Employment structure
Labour market policies
Job creation
Job quality
Employment and labour markets
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The future of manufacturing – is it in Europe?

Over the past four years a special project delegated to Eurofound has looked in detail at ongoing changes in manufacturing on a global scale, analysed how the industry will change further in the future, and assessed what the impacts will be for Europe. Looking at everything from changes in tasks for

9 April 2019
Donald Storrie
Blog
Employment structure
Industrial policy
Job creation
Employment and labour markets
Restructuring
The many faces of self-employment In Europe

The many faces of self-employment in Europe

While the Europe 2020 strategy actively promotes entrepreneurial self-employment as a means to create good jobs, policy makers at national and EU level are actively looking at better social protection for self-employed workers. Understanding this paradox requires looking beyond the ‘self-employed’

26 October 2017
Mathijn Wilkens
Blog
Inequality
Job creation
Non-standard employment
Working conditions and sustainable work
New-generation cars boost manufacturing employment

New-generation cars boost manufacturing employment

Rising levels of employment in manufacturing in the EU since 2013 have seen the part reversal of a long-term decline in employment in this sector. Data from the European Restructuring Monitor (ERM) database to early September 2017 show that, for the first time since 2005, the number of new

25 October 2017
John Hurley
Blog
Job creation
Employment and labour markets
Anticipating and managing the impact of change
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Employment shifts in Europe during the recovery: three little noticed trends

The EU has finally recovered all the net employment losses sustained since the global financial crisis. It has been a long and painful process. But there is at last growing evidence of positive momentum in EU labour markets, if not quite ‘animal spirits’. Many of those member states most affected by

26 July 2017
John Hurley
Blog
Employment structure
Gender equality
Job creation
Employment and labour markets
Non-standard employment
Upcoming publications results (1)

Company practices to tackle labour shortages

This report provides updated data on the scale of labour shortages and labour market slack in the EU and at Member State level and focusses on organisational policies aimed at attracting workers in shortage occupations. It provides lessons on steps employers can take to fill vacancies, whether actin

September 2024
Forthcoming
Publication
Research report
Employment and labour markets
Job creation
Labour market policies
Data results (2)

European Company Survey

24 October 2023
Reference period:
2019

European Jobs Monitor

20 September 2023

Disclaimer

When freely submitting your request, you are consenting Eurofound in handling your personal data to reply to you. Your request will be handled in accordance with the provisions of Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data. More information, please read the Data Protection Notice.