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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)

ERM Report 2009: Restructuring in recession

Over the course of 2008 and 2009, the world economy experienced one of the most serious recessions in modern times. In July 2009, 22 million men and women were unemployed throughout Europe, five million more than a year previously. Moreover, the situation may well still have further to play out

22 November 2009
Publication
Annual report
Employment structure
Job creation
Employment and labour markets
Restructuring
Structural change

European restructuring monitor quarterly - Issue 3, autumn 2009

Europe is slowly emerging from one of the deepest recessions on record with the European Commission predicting positive growth in the third quarter of 2009. The third issue for 2009 includes: current macroeconomic trends and prospects; an overview of ERM statistics for July-September 2009

04 November 2009
Publication
ERM Quarterly
Job creation
Employment structure
Restructuring
Employment and labour markets

Greening the European economy: Responses and initiatives by Member States and social partners

This report examines the responses, initiatives and activities undertaken by national governments and the social partners in the EU Member States plus Norway in working towards a greener economy and maximising the job creation potential of this new area. The report looks specifically at various

08 October 2009
Publication
Research report
European Green Deal
Social partners
Industrial relations
Job creation
Employment and labour markets
Industrial relations and social dialogue

Tackling the recession: Employment-related public initiatives in the EU Member States and Norway

As European economies slide into recession, companies face increasing financial difficulties as sales decline and prospects for a quick recovery recede. Consequently, a growing number of businesses are coming under threat, putting the jobs of more workers at risk. Already across Europe many

08 October 2009
Publication
Research report
Restructuring
Structural change
Employment structure
Labour market policies
Job creation
Employment and labour markets

Investing in the future of jobs and skills: Post and telecommunications - Sector report

Post and telecoms were amongst the most changing sectors of the 1990s. Both sectors have now been privatised and opened up to competition following EU liberalisation law. The EU employed about 3.3 million post and telecoms workers in 2006. A large share of them, 83%, was working in the EU-15 and

29 September 2009
Publication
Research report
Skills and training
Working conditions and sustainable work
Employment and labour markets
Innovation
Job quality
Job creation

Investing in the future of jobs and skills: Chemicals, pharmaceuticals, rubber and plastic products – Sector report

The chemicals industry is a major contributor to the EU economy in terms of output, value-added, employment, and (net) exports. The sector supplies products to almost all downstream industry sectors and is an important engine for innovation for the wider economy. It plays a key role in facilitating

27 September 2009
Publication
Research report
Skills and training
Working conditions
Job creation
Innovation
Employment and labour markets
Working conditions and sustainable work

Investing in the future of jobs and skills: Furniture - Sector report

Total employment for the sector aggregate Furniture and other industries amounted to 2,007,000 persons in 2006 in the EU. Almost three-fourth of employment was concentrated in the furniture sector. The jewellery sector accounted for 6% of total employment. Two-third of employment in furniture is

27 September 2009
Publication
Research report
Skills and training
Working conditions
Job creation
Innovation
Employment and labour markets
Working conditions and sustainable work

Investing in the future of jobs and skills: Health and social services - Sector report

The EU employs about 20 million health and social services workers in 2006, the majority of which live in the EU15 countries. The new member states employ 2.3 million health and social services workers. Moreover, the workforce grew much faster in the EU15 than in the new member states. Hence the

23 September 2009
Publication
Research report
Skills and training
Working conditions and sustainable work
Employment and labour markets
Innovation
Job quality
Job creation

Investing in the future of jobs and skills: Non-metallic materials – Sector report

The non-metallic materials sector covers a broad range of industries which are all involved in the processing of natural resources (e.g. silica sand, clay, natural stone and rock) into marketable products. Overall employment in the EU in the non-metallic materials sector amounted to 1.62 million

22 September 2009
Publication
Research report
Skills and training
Working conditions
Job creation
Innovation
Employment and labour markets
Working conditions and sustainable work

Investing in the future of jobs and skills: Printing and publishing – Sector report

Total employment in the printing, publishing, and recorded media industry in 2006 amounted to 1.91 million jobs, which is equivalent to 0.87% of overall EU employment and 5.54% of EU manufacturing employment. The printing and publishing sector is a fairly important sector in terms for employment for

22 September 2009
Publication
Research report
Skills and training
Working conditions and sustainable work
Employment and labour markets
Innovation
Job quality
Job creation
Online resources results (44)

Reorganisation and reduction of statutory working time: early assessment of the Robien law

The publication of an assessment commissioned by the National Assembly's Finance Commission, and the campaign for the May/June 1997 general election, have reopened the debate in France on the content and efficiency of the Robien law, which seeks to encourage working time reductions and

27 maj 1997
Article
Working time
Job creation
Employment relationship
Working conditions
Employment and labour markets
Working conditions and sustainable work

Reduction of working time is key issue

In the framework of negotiations for the two-year National General Collective Agreement covering the years 1996 and 1997, the GSEE (Greek General Confederation of Labour) trade union confederation placed on the agenda of discussions with the employers its demand for the reduction of weekly working

27 april 1997
Article
Working time
Job creation
Labour market policies
Employment and labour markets

Sabbatical leave scheme gains in popularity

The sabbatical leave pilot scheme, which was agreed as part of Finland's last incomes policy agreement, has begun as planned. So far, 5,500 employees have taken advantage of the scheme. The Ministry of Labour's target of 5,000-10,000 employees per year appears likely to be achieved.

27 april 1997
Article
Job creation
Pay and income
Psychosocial risks
Job quality
Working conditions
Employment and labour markets
Working conditions and sustainable work

Agreement on working time at EDF and GDF

On 21 January 1997, the two French electricity and gas public utility companies signed an agreement with three trade unions ( the CFDT, the CFTC and the CFE-CGC). This agreement is designed to improve their competitiveness and productivity while at the same time maintaining their workforce at

27 februar 1997
Article
Working time
Job creation
Public services
Employment and labour markets
Living conditions and quality of life
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 februar 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 oktober 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 oktober 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 oktober 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 juli 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 oktober 2023
Reference period:
2019

European Jobs Monitor

20 september 2023

Disclaimer

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