Hyppää pääsisältöön
Group of workers brainstorming in business office

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

restructuring-events.png

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.

 

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

eurofound-placeholder

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 huhtikuu 2019
Publication
Research report
eurofound-placeholder

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 syyskuu 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 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)

The European Restructuring Monitor (ERM) annual report for 2015 explores the issue of job creation in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). SMEs are increasingly recognised as a job engine for Europe. However, given the heterogeneity of the vast SME population, not all contribute equally to

27 January 2016

In the last quarter of 2015, better economic data in the EU was overshadowed by increasing anxiety about the potential impact of declining growth and rising instability in developing economies. Aggregate unemployment rates in the Union are in their first sustained downward path since the global

20 January 2016

In light of the recent economic and financial crisis and its detrimental effects on EU labour markets, both academics and policymakers are paying increasing attention to the role of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in job creation.

18 November 2015

Economic anxiety has resurfaced during the summer months and threatens to undermine the emergent European recovery. All of the things that should be helping to boost growth – ECB quantitative easing, the weak euro, low interest rates, cheap oil – appear to be having limited effect in the face of a

21 October 2015

In a context of globally slow growth since the financial crisis, the EU and in particular the euro zone economies have underperformed relative to other major developed-world economies. Output in the euro zone remained lower in the first quarter of 2015 than seven years earlier, and three million

29 July 2015

This report describes the findings of a study of change in job tenure between 2002 and 2012 in the EU. The study examined change in mean tenure as well as the distribution of short and long tenure in the EU and in individual Member States. It also looked at differences in tenure according to

15 July 2015

Europe has begun to emerge from the prolonged slump caused by the global financial crisis in 2008 and exacerbated by the euro zone single-currency crisis in 2010–2011. In the last year, aggregate employment levels have risen faster than at any time since 2008. This, the fourth annual European Jobs

09 July 2015

Economic recovery in the EU has some positive tailwinds at last. These come in three forms; reduced oil prices are a significant boon to the EU as it is a major net importer; the ECB’s decision to adopt unconventional monetary policy options previously implemented in other developed economies

28 April 2015

Dramatic recent oil price declines have seen deflation take hold in the EU. General price levels in December 2014 were 0.2% lower than a year earlier. This is further evidence of a tentative European economic recovery that appears to be running out of steam. Growth forecasts for the EU have been

02 February 2015

Recent data has cast doubt on the strength of the recovery. In its October 2014 World Economic Outlook, the IMF predicts a euro zone growth rate of 0.8% in 2014 (down from a forecast growth rate of 1.1% in April 2014). Factors contributing to the poorer outlook are slowdowns in the US, Japan and in

28 October 2014

Online resources results (44)

Signs of growth in UK automotive industry offset plant closures

This feature highlights the main restructuring and industrial relations developments in the UK automotive sector over the last 12 months.

Unemployment rises again

For the first time since 1994, unemployment rose in Spain in 2001, particularly from August onward. Whereas the government claims that the change is due to the international situation, the trade unions are calling for more substantial employment policies.

IG Metall presents first findings of its debate on the future

In 1999, the IG Metall metalworkers' trade union decided to hold a 'debate on the future' (Zukunftsdebatte [1]), in order to examine the sustainability of its work in respect of both trade union activities and society as a whole, and relating to its programme and its strategic aims and targets. The

IG Metall and VW fail to agree on terms for creation of 5,000 new jobs

In a sixth round of talks on 25 June 2001, Volkswagen AG (VW AG) and the IG Metall metalworkers' trade union failed to agree on acceptable pay and employment conditions for new jobs to be created at the company's production sites at Wolfsburg and Hannover.

2001 NAP focuses on growth and employment

Finland's National Action Plan () for employment for 2001 [1], in response to the EU Employment Guidelines [2], was presented in May 2001. [1] http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/news/2001/may/nap2001fi_en.pdf [2] http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/empl&esf/docs/com2001_64_en.pdf

Employers debate challenge of employment

In February 2001, Greece's SEV employers' federation held a seminar on "the challenge of employment". With Greek unemployment - in contrast to most other EU Member States - still rising, the employers examined the current situation and prospects and drew up a set of proposals on issues such as

Milan employment pact assessed - one year on

In February 2000, an employment pact was signed for the city of Milan, Italy, with the aim of fostering the employment of people from socially disadvantaged groups. One year later, projects have been approved which involve the creation of around 1,000 jobs. The city council and the social partner

Unemployment rate falls

The unemployment rate in France fell from 12.6% in June 1997 to 9% in January 2001, and labour shortages are starting to appear in some sectors. In early 2001, there has been considerable debate among the social partners and other parties as to the respective roles in the reduction of unemployment

Negotiations over 35-hour week in banking

During the second half of 2000, agreements on introducing the 35-hour working week were signed in France's major banks, after the sectoral-level social partners failed to deal with the issue in an industry-wide agreement concluded in January. Sectoral negotiations will now deal with working time

2000 collective bargaining round progresses relatively quietly

The average wage increase amounted to 3.4% in the most important collective agreements concluded in the Netherlands' 2000 collective bargaining round up until the end of June. It is noteworthy that numerous agreements now include agreements on performance-based payment in some form. It is also


Blogs results (6)
image_blog_low_carbon_24022020.png

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 helmikuu 2020
image_1_blog_good_jobs_29102019.png

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 lokakuu 2019
image_1_blog_fome_final_report_09042019.png

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 huhtikuu 2019
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 lokakuu 2017
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 lokakuu 2017
employment_shifts.jpg

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 heinäkuu 2017
Upcoming publications results (1)

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
Data results (2)
24 lokakuu 2023
Reference period:
20 syyskuu 2023

Disclaimer

When freely submitting your request, you are consenting Eurofound in handling your personal data to reply to you. Your request will be handled in accordance with the provisions of Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data. More information, please read the Data Protection Notice.