Online event

Virtual Visit to Estonia - Job quality a cornerstone for long-term labour market competitiveness

As part of our Virtual Visits initiative, Eurofound organised an exclusive online interactive webinar with its experts on Job quality - a cornerstone for long-term labour market competitiveness’ on Thursday, 15 January 2026, 13.00-14.00 (Estonian time).

Virtual Visit to Estonia - Job quality a cornerstone for long-term labour market competitiveness
When?

Thursday, 15 January 2026

Estonian time

Start

13:00

End

14:00

Organised by
Eurofound in collaboration with Eurofound’s Estonian Board Members and national correspondent in Estonia

Event background

This event took place in the context of Eurofound’s ongoing efforts with key stakeholders at the national level to ensure widespread dissemination and dialogue on our research findings. 

Event overview

Job quality is a cornerstone of Estonia’s economic competitiveness and long-term labour market strategy. Quality jobs offering fair wages, good working conditions, learning opportunities and work–life balance are essential for boosting participation, supporting longer and healthier careers, and raising productivity.

Estonia’s productivity growth has slowed compared to the European Union average. To address this, the government aims to raise labour productivity to 110% of the EU average by 2035. Improving job quality is key to achieving this goal.

In today’s rapidly changing economy, shaped by automation and artificial intelligence, robust job quality helps workers adapt, develop new skills and maintain well-being. Reliable evidence on job quality is critical for shaping effective labour policies.

This event incorporated new, interesting and country-specific data demonstrating how job quality is crucial for higher labour force participation, higher well-being and increased economic performance. Job quality is also a key component in making work sustainable and enabling workers to stay motivated to remain in work for longer.

Particular attention was paid to measures to improve job quality across age cohorts (young and older workers), address the unequal division of care between men and women, and assess the impact of artificial intelligence on work and employment. It also explored how to enhance the attractiveness of sectors and occupations facing labour shortages, including those deemed essential to Estonia’s competitiveness, such as health and social services, ICT, education and manufacturing.

This event took place in collaboration with Eurofound’s Estonian Board Members and with its national correspondent in Estonia.

The presentation is available for download below.

Presentation slides: Virtual Visit to Estonia - Job quality a cornerstone for long-term labour market competitiveness

PDF document

Virtual visit Estonia image
Virtual visit Estonia image
Virtual visit Estonia image

Image © Per Swantesson/Stocksy/Adobe Stock

Eurofound speakers

Barbara Gerstenberger

​Head of Unit
Working life research unit

Barbara Gerstenberger er leder af Eurofounds arbejdslivsenhed. I denne rolle koordinerer hun de forskerhold, der undersøger jobkvalitet i Europa på grundlag af den europæiske undersøgelse af arbejdsvilkårene, og har det overordnede ansvar for Det Europæiske Observationscenter for Arbejdsliv og forskning i arbejdsmarkedsrelationer i EU. Hun kom til Eurofound i 2001 som forskningsleder i det dengang nyoprettede Europæiske Overvågningscenter for Forandring (EMCC). I 2007 flyttede hun til Eurofounds informations- og kommunikationsenhed som chef for kommunikationsprodukter, inden hun blev udnævnt til koordinator i direktoratet i 2011. Tidligere arbejdede hun som seniorforsker i European Metalworkers' Federation i Bruxelles. Hun er uddannet i statskundskab fra Hamborg Universitet og har en kandidatgrad i offentlig administration ved Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.

Sara Riso

Senior research manager
Working life research unit

Sara Riso joined Eurofound in 2006 and is currently a senior research manager in the Working Life unit. She is engaged in research projects focusing on digitalisation and working conditions. Before joining Eurofound, Sara managed research projects for large Brussels-based European associations and networks. Her academic background is in psychology, communication and languages. Her main research interest lies in exploring new workplace stressors arising from increased digitalisation of work, evolving organisational practices, and change management strategies to address the challenges posed by digitalisation in modern working environments.

Ivailo Kalfin

Executive Director
Eurofound

Ivailo Kalfin tiltrådte som administrerende direktør for Eurofound den 1. juni 2021. Kalfins ekspertise dækker en række områder, lige fra dynamikken i arbejdsmarkedet og socialpolitikken til globale politiske tendenser, EU og budgettet samt digital omstilling. Han har skitseret fem hovedprioriteter for sin rolle i Eurofound: støtte til integration af Europas grønne og digitale omstilling; supplere gennemførelsen af handlingsplanen for den europæiske søjle for sociale rettigheder med evidensbaseret forskning øget samarbejde med internationale organisationer og eksterne partnere og større opsøgende arbejde over for lande under den europæiske naboskabspolitik støtte til styrkelse og udvidelse af arbejdsmarkedets parters kapacitet inden for agenturets ansvarsområde at øge Eurofounds profil blandt de vigtigste interessenter.

Mary McCaughey

Head of Unit
Information and Communication

Mary McCaughey er informations- og kommunikationschef i Eurofound. Hun er uddannet fra Trinity College i Dublin og College of Europe i Brügge og begyndte at arbejde i Bruxelles med Europolitics og Wall Street Journal Europe. Hun arbejdede for Association of European Parliamentarians with Africa (AWEPA) i Sydafrika under landets overgang til demokrati, og i 1998 tiltrådte hun stillingen som talsmand for Den Europæiske Unions delegation i Pretoria, hvor hun ledede dens presse- og informationsafdeling under forhandlingerne om frihandelsaftalen mellem EU og Sydafrika. Efter afslutningen af Kosovo-krigen arbejdede hun som kommunikationskonsulent for Det Europæiske Genopbygningsagentur i Serbien. Hun tiltrådte stillingen som chefredaktør i Eurofound i 2003.

Series: Virtual Visits

Hosted online and tailored to individual countries, Virtual Visits offer a unique opportunity to engage directly with Eurofound researchers. The sessions provide insights into current developments, explore the latest findings and facilitate discussion on topics of national relevance.

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European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions
The tripartite EU agency providing knowledge to assist in the development of better social, employment and work-related policies