Publications

Patterns and trends in social partner involvement in times of crises. 
20-21 March 2023, EMCO meeting hosted by the Swedish Presidency, Stockholm. 
Presentation by Ricardo Rodriguez Contreras, Research Manager, Eurofound.

Historically, the political debate around EU convergence has gathered momentum in the aftermath of a crisis. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the purpose of this report is to take stock of the last two decades of convergence trends. The study begins with an empirical investigation of economic, social and institutional convergence over 2004–2019 at both Member State and regional levels. The analysis is then extended to 2020 and 2021 to examine the impact of the pandemic.

'Women belong in all the places where decisions are made', to borrow from the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg. These decisions are made everywhere and at every level: in the home and at the workplace; in the boardroom and on the shop floor. Which is why it is of such serious concern to see the ongoing deep-rooted gender segregation across Europe, in employment, of course, but more specifically in sectors, in occupations and in roles and responsibilities. On International Women’s Day we tend to take stock of progress for women in all areas, and there had certainly been much progress in Europe in the years prior to the COVID-19 crisis. For instance, employment rates of women had increased, and yet more women than men lost their jobs at the beginning of the pandemic.

Women and frontline workers are most exposed to the risks of adverse social behaviour at work, such as burnout, exhaustion, anxiety and depression. This is according to the European Working Conditions Telephone Survey 2021 (EWCTS). In this data story, we dive into EWCTS data (EU27) to examine the prevalence of adverse social behaviour in the workplace - also known as ‘violence in the workplace’ - and the health and well-being implications it has for those who experience it. 

Today, 24 February 2023, marks one year since Russian forces began a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, starting a war of aggression that has spread death and destruction. It also marks one year of resolute Ukrainian resistance.

Since 2011, the Restructuring support instruments database of the EU PolicyWatch has been collecting information on measures that assist companies and workers to anticipate and manage restructuring. This article looks at measures in the database aimed at supporting employees and employers during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2022). It also underlines the role of education and training in continuing to build resilience following the pandemic and explores the ongoing move towards the twin green and digital transitions. 

As governments across the EU continue to implement policies to support citizens and businesses in the face of rising food and energy prices caused by the COVID-19 crisis and intensified by the war in Ukraine, this article summarises the policy responses as reported in Eurofound’s EU PolicyWatch database from January to September 2022.

La pandemia di COVID-19 ha avuto effetti diversi sulle categorie sociali, a seconda degli svantaggi esistenti, ed è opinione diffusa che abbia innescato un incremento delle disuguaglianze in diversi ambiti della vita. Utilizzando gli indicatori del quadro di monitoraggio multidimensionale delle disuguaglianze dell’UE, la relazione mostra come è cambiata la disuguaglianza nell’ambito del reddito, della salute, dell’occupazione e dell’istruzione nel periodo intercorso tra il 2010 e il 2020.

This programming document describes Eurofound’s planned work over the programming period 2021–2024. It sets out the policy and institutional context for the programme, outlines the multiannual programme for the four-year period and sets out the work programme for 2023. The framing of the 2023 work programme is set in the context of the war in Ukraine, rising cost of living and energy crisis across the European Union, as well as the mega-drivers of structural change in Europe related to demography, technology, globalisation and climate change.

As the EU economy advanced its recovery following the pandemic, the high rate of inflation throughout 2022 meant that wage setting actors made their decisions under a cloud of uncertainty. While nominal increases in statutory minimum wages reached an all-time high, minimum wage workers in most countries saw their purchasing power decline or just about compensated at the beginning of 2023, based on preliminary harmonised inflation figures. With inflation expected to persist, a further depreciation of minimum wages in real terms can be expected in most Member States, as only a few foresee additional increases in 2023.