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 on Eurofoundi tööelu üksuse juhataja. Selles rollis koordineerib ta uurimisrühmi, kes uurivad töökohtade kvaliteeti Euroopas, tuginedes Euroopa töötingimuste uuringule, ning tal on üldine vastutus Euroopa tööelu vaatluskeskuse ja ELi töösuhete uurimise eest. Ta liitus Eurofoundiga 2001. aastal teadusuuringute juhina tollal vastloodud Euroopa Muutuste Seirekeskuses (EMCC). 2007. aastal asus ta üle Eurofoundi teabe- ja kommunikatsiooniüksusesse kommunikatsioonitoodete juhiks, enne kui ta määrati 2011. aastal direktoraadi koordinaatoriks. Varem töötas ta Brüsselis Euroopa Metallitööliste Föderatsiooni vanemteadurina. Ta on lõpetanud Hamburgi ülikooli politoloogia erialal ja omandanud magistrikraadi avaliku halduse alal Harvardi ülikooli Kennedy valitsuskoolis.

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 asus Eurofoundi tegevdirektorina tööle 1. juunil 2021. Hr Kalfini teadmised hõlmavad paljusid valdkondi, alates tööturu ja sotsiaalpoliitika dünaamikast kuni globaalsete poliitiliste suundumuste, ELi ja eelarve ning digipöördeni. Ta on välja toonud viis peamist prioriteeti oma rollis Eurofoundis: Euroopa rohe- ja digipöörde süvalaiendamise toetamine; Euroopa sotsiaalõiguste samba tegevuskava rakendamise täiendamine tõenduspõhiste uuringutega; tihedam koostöö rahvusvaheliste organisatsioonide ja välispartneritega ning suurem teavitustegevus Euroopa naabruspoliitika riikidega; toetus sotsiaalpartnerite suutlikkuse suurendamiseks ja laiendamiseks ameti pädevuses; Eurofoundi nähtavuse suurendamine peamiste sidusrühmade seas.

Mary McCaughey

Head of Unit
Information and Communication

Mary McCaughey on Eurofoundi teabe- ja kommunikatsioonijuht. Lõpetanud Dublini Trinity kolledži ja Brugge Euroopa Kolledži ning alustas tööd Brüsselis Europoliticsis ja Wall Street Journal Europe'is. Ta töötas Lõuna-Aafrikas Euroopa Parlamendi liikmete Aafrika Assotsiatsioonis (AWEPA) riigi üleminekul demokraatiale ning 1998. aastal asus ta tööle Euroopa Liidu Pretorias asuva delegatsiooni pressiesindajana, juhtides selle pressi- ja teabeosakonda ELi ja Lõuna-Aafrika vabakaubanduslepingu läbirääkimiste ajal. Pärast Kosovo sõja lõppu töötas ta kommunikatsioonikonsultandina Euroopa Ülesehitusagentuuris Serbias. Ta asus Eurofoundi peatoimetaja ametikohale 2003. aastal.

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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The tripartite EU agency providing knowledge to assist in the development of better social, employment and work-related policies