Convergence and divergence of working conditions in Europe: 1990-2005

This report examines whether EU Member States are converging or diverging with regard to working conditions and quality of work and employment. While the findings reveal a relative divergence in Europe with the joining of the new Member States in 2004 and 2007, the results confirm that the gap is closing and that in some of the older Member States there is evidence of disimprovements in some areas, such as prevalence of work intensity and reduced access to training. Data from four European Working Conditions Surveys is used to compare trends across a fifteen-year time span.