Working life research

Franz Ferdinand Eiffe

Research manager

Franz Eiffe is a research manager in the Working Life unit at Eurofound. He is involved in projects on sustainable work, quantitative analyses and upward convergence in the EU, as well as in the preparation of the fourth European Company Survey. Before joining Eurofound in 2016, he was Head of Unit ‘Analysis’ at Statistics Austria in Vienna and project leader of ‘How is Austria? Measuring wealth and progress beyond GDP’. He holds a PhD in Economics from Vienna University of Economics (WU), where he also worked as research associate from 2005 to 2009 and lecturer until 2016.

Topics of expertise

Franz Ferdinand is an expert in the following topics.

Ageing workforce

Young woman presenting, writing and drawing on flipchart

Participation at work

Waiter at coffee shop in pedestrian area

Small and medium-sized enterprises

Sustainable work

Research outputs

Franz Ferdinand is the author of the following publications.

Include forthcoming

Events, podcast and blog

Franz Ferdinand has contributed the following events, blog posts and podcast episodes.

30 May 2025

Blog post

Europe must adapt to its ageing workforce

As the continent's birth rates decline and its population ages, policymakers face the urgent task of retaining experienced workers and adapting workplaces to meet the needs of an older demographic.

10 April 2025

Podcast episode

How can Europe adapt to an ageing workforce?

How can Europe adapt to an ageing workforce? What impediments do older workers face at the workplace? How are changing technologies and job quality influencing the retention of older workers on the labour market?This episode sets out to answer these questions in the context of changing demographics in Europe and the need to make work more sustainable.

Older male worker threading a steel bar in an industrial factory

21 June 2021

Blog post

COVID-19: Could businesses have done better?

COVID-19 has shown that some things can hit us out of the blue. The pandemic sent a shockwave through businesses all over the world and has brought massive changes to work organisation, internal communication and day-to-day operations for many companies. Doubtless, the depth of the pandemic’s impact on workplaces depended on many factors: the nature of the business, for instance, or the sector of activity. But are there any lessons to be learnt about the factors that helped some organisations to navigate through the crisis more smoothly than others?

20 March 2019

Blog post

We need to boost motivation at work to ease Europe’s demographic headache

Motivated workers have higher levels of engagement, better health and are able to work longer. Improving motivation at work is therefore a key component in meeting the challenges of Europe’s ageing workforce and improving the EU’s long-term competitiveness on a global scale. This means that fostering motivation at work isn’t just about personal or business success, it is also about Europe’s success.

18 June 2018

Blog post

The human factor in innovation

Companies are constantly competing for the next big thing in innovation – the next-generation 3D phone, the quantum computer, the virtual doctor. They fixate on technological breakthroughs and look for new business models. But innovation also needs systems, an organisational structure and people who work together. The human factor in innovation is often forgotten or neglected – the employees’ skills, their level of input, their autonomy in their jobs and the rewards they receive. Or do such factors really play any role in innovation?

Other unit members: Working life research

Find more staff members of this unit below.

Alik Akopian

Administrative assistant

Felix Appler

Research support officer

Angelina Atanasova

Research support officer

Christine Aumayr-Pintar

Senior research manager

Elena Biaggi

Temporary research support officer

Theodor Bjork

Research trainee

Sapho Briand

Project administration and communication support coordinator

Ettore Bucci

Project manager for the Social Dialogue Network

Jorge Cabrita

Senior research manager

Daphné Chédorge-Farnier

Temporary research support officer

Victoria Cojocariu

Research officer

Barbara Gerstenberger

Head of Unit

Manuel Gómez Martín

Administrative assistant

Sara Grubanov-Boskovic

Research officer

Peter Kerckhofs

Senior research manager

Fiona Lescure

Research trainee

Sophia MacGoris

Surveys officer

Pietro Malacalza

Research assistant

Agnès Parent-Thirion

Senior research manager

Styliani Patseli

Research trainee

Sara Riso

Senior research manager

Mária Sedláková

Research officer

Oscar Vargas Llave

Senior research manager

Valeria Virgili

Temporary research support officer

Tina Weber

Senior research manager