Working poor - Bringing them into the net

Corporate, Eurofound

Overview

Information sheet

Working poor - Bringing them into the net

Published: 19 January 2010

Key elements of the EU’s strategy to combat social exclusion are the promotion of quality of work and the eradication of poverty; however, the persistence of in-work poverty – people who fall below the poverty level while being employed – seem to undermine these goals. Having a paid job is usually regarded as a guarantee of being able to meet one’s own and one’s household’s needs. However, data from the EU-SILC survey for 2007 shows that, in the EU27, the disposable income of 8% of those aged 18 and over in employment – more than 15 million people – is not enough to lift them out of poverty.

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Reference no.

EF091094

19 January 2010

Information sheet

Children and young people

Addressing child poverty is crucial to the achievement of greater social cohesion and sustainable social and economic development in Europe. Across the EU, 19% of children under the age of 16 are at risk of poverty; some 15% of children leave school without a secondary-level education; the rate of youth unemployment is about twice the average. Children in lone-parent families or large families, those with unemployed parents, from immigrant and ethnic minority families, or children who are disabled are most at risk of poverty or social exclusion.

19 January 2010

Information sheet

Employment and disability - Avoiding a one-way street

Chronic illness and disability play a key role in unemployment and exclusion from the workplace. When reading about ‘people with disabilities’, most people think of people born with an obvious disability or who have acquired a disability through illness or injury later in life. However, in relation to the labour market, the term refers to people who have previously worked but are now receiving disability benefits due to long absence from work. They have lost connection with their employer and are claiming either short term sickness benefit or longer-term disability benefit. Most of them have acquired their disability during their working life.

19 January 2010

Information sheet

Older people - Keeping active and involved

The results of Eurofound’s second European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS 2007) show that older people run the risk of being socially excluded. The highest proportion of people reporting a feeling of being ‘left out of society’ is in the over-65 age bracket. Compared to younger age groups, a much higher proportion in this group feels that ‘life has become so complicated today that I almost can’t find my way’. Feeling excluded reduces quality of life and is associated with poorer physical and mental health.

19 January 2010

Information sheet

Role of the social partners

The potential for the social partners, particularly in the current economic downturn, to act together in tackling social exclusion has been highlighted in Eurofound’s work. Evidence from across Europe demonstrates that they have at their disposal a variety of tools, through collective bargaining and beyond, to deal with this issue. Job creation is one area where employers can most effectively contribute to greater inclusion, while trade unions can work to ensure adequate pay, job security, and working conditions. In recent times, trade unions and employers have often agreed to moderate wage increases and to introduce pay freezes, or in some cases even pay cuts, in an attempt to limit or avoid redundancies.