EurLIFE European Observatory on Quality of Life

Results of survey data analysis as well as qualitative research in the field of quality of life and public services are made accessible through the EurLIFE observatory. Its work is supported by a Network of Eurofound Correspondents across all EU Member States and Norway. 

EurLIFE focuses on the following main topic areas.

Living conditions and quality of life

Living conditions and quality of life is one of the six main activities in Eurofound’s work programme for the 2021–2024 period. Eurofound will continue to map and analyse key aspects related to the improvement of living conditions of people in Europe, including information on their perception of quality of life and society.

Promoting social cohesion and convergence

Promoting social cohesion and convergence is one of the six main activities in Eurofound’s work programme for the 2021–2024 period. Eurofound will continue to operate as a centre of expertise for monitoring and analysing the key trends and determinants of achieving upward convergence in living and working conditions and strengthening economic and social cohesion in the EU.

Public services

Public services are essential for achieving high levels of social protection, social cohesion and social inclusion. But it is the quality of and access to services that determines their success across a changing social and demographic landscape. The challenge for policymakers is to ensure the design and delivery of health and social services that meet the varied needs of citizens.

COVID-19

Eurofound’s work on COVID-19 examines the far-reaching socioeconomic implications of the pandemic across Europe as they continue to impact living and working conditions. A key element of the research is the e-survey Living, working and COVID-19, conducted in three rounds – in April and July 2020 and in March 2021.

Featured - Disability and labour market integration: Policy trends and support in EU Member States

This report examines policy developments in EU Member States aimed at supporting the inclusion of people with disabilities in the open labour market, with a particular focus on the three stages of entering into employment, staying in the job and returning to work after an absence. It explores the mechanisms and effectiveness of more than 150 different policy measures designed to address the dimensions in place in the EU before the COVID-19 pandemic: job creation, labour supply, labour demand and contextual factors. In addition, it provides an updated analysis of early policy measures created in the wake of the pandemic that aimed to support the labour market situation of people with disabilities. A country case study on Ireland complements the study by outlining the complexity of disability and support systems from a broader perspective.