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Labour market policies

To improve the functioning of labour markets, policymakers need to address labour market mismatches, labour market segmentation, and design employment policies geared towards the integration of specific groups into the labour market. Active labour market policies (ALMP) are public interventions which are explicitly targeted at groups of persons with difficulties in the labour market. These policies include Public Employment Services or other publicly funded services for jobseekers. Active support to employment is included in the European Pillar of Social Rights.
 

Topic

Eurofound research

Explore Eurofound's regularly updated EU PolicyWatch database of measures introduced by governments and social partners in the EU Member States to alleviate the effects on businesses, workers and citizens of recent crises – COVID-19, the war in Ukraine and rising inflation. It also lists policies to support the digital and green transitions, as well companies that need to restructure. 

Database: EU PolicyWatch

Recent updates

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Becoming adults: Young people in a post-pandemic world

During the pandemic, many young people had to change their plans for the future. While at the end of 2023 young people’s labour market situation was more favourable than it...

21 Maijs 2024
Publication
Research report
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Spanish presidency 2023: Eurofound's contribution

From July to December 2023, Eurofound supported the work of Spain's presidency of the Council of the EU, providing valuable research results on specific topics linked with the presidency priorities.

Web page

Eurofound expert(s)

John Hurley

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 (149)

Luxembourg: partial unemployment compensation

The reduction of working time has played a major role in lessening the impact of lowered production output on employment levels, and this project aims to investigate short-time working and temporary layoff schemes which have been used as a means of avoiding redundancies by many Member States during

25 November 2010
Publication
Research report
Labour market policies
Skills and training
Working time
Working conditions
Employment and labour markets
Working conditions and sustainable work

France: Partial unemployment allowance and compensation for long-term reduced activity allowance

The reduction of working time has played a major role in lessening the impact of lowered production output on employment levels, and this project aims to investigate short-time working and temporary layoff schemes which have been used as a means of avoiding redundancies by many Member States during

25 November 2010
Publication
Research report
Labour market policies
Skills and training
Working time
Working conditions
Employment and labour markets
Working conditions and sustainable work

Slovenia: Partial subsidies of full-time work and partial reimbursement of payment compensation

The reduction of working time has played a major role in lessening the impact of lowered production output on employment levels, and this project aims to investigate short-time working and temporary layoff schemes which have been used as a means of avoiding redundancies by many Member States during

25 November 2010
Publication
Research report
Labour market policies
Skills and training
Working time
Working conditions
Employment and labour markets
Working conditions and sustainable work

Germany: Short-time working allowance

The reduction of working time has played a major role in lessening the impact of lowered production output on employment levels, and this project aims to investigate short-time working and temporary layoff schemes which have been used as a means of avoiding redundancies by many Member States during

25 November 2010
Publication
Research report
Labour market policies
Skills and training
Working time
Working conditions
Employment and labour markets
Working conditions and sustainable work

Belgium: Short-time working and temporary layoff allowances

The reduction of working time has played a major role in lessening the impact of lowered production output on employment levels, and this project aims to investigate short-time working and temporary layoff schemes which have been used as a means of avoiding redundancies by many Member States during

25 November 2010
Publication
Research report
Labour market policies
Skills and training
Working time
Working conditions
Employment and labour markets
Working conditions and sustainable work

Austria: Short-time working subsidy

The reduction of working time has played a major role in lessening the impact of lowered production output on employment levels, and this project aims to investigate short-time working and temporary layoff schemes which have been used as a means of avoiding redundancies by many Member States during

25 November 2010
Publication
Research report
Labour market policies
Skills and training
Working time
Working conditions
Employment and labour markets
Working conditions and sustainable work

Poland: Employment subsidies for reduced working time and training subsidies

The reduction of working time has played a major role in lessening the impact of lowered production output on employment levels, and this project aims to investigate short-time working and temporary layoff schemes which have been used as a means of avoiding redundancies by many Member States during

25 November 2010
Publication
Research report
Labour market policies
Skills and training
Working time
Working conditions
Employment and labour markets
Working conditions and sustainable work

Extending flexicurity – The potential of short-time working schemes: ERM Report 2010

In the face of recession, falling demand and the consequent slowing of production, short-time working and temporary layoff schemes have been extended (or introduced) in many Member States. These schemes, often with the aid of public funds, reduce working time, while protecting workers’ incomes and

23 November 2010
Publication
Annual report
Skills and training
Working time
Working conditions
Labour market policies
Employment and labour markets
Working conditions and sustainable work

EMCC case studies - Short-time working in the legal sector: the Flex Programme at Norton Rose (United Kingdom)

Norton Rose LLP, part of the Norton Rose Group, has been one of the few law firms in the UK that did not make staff redundant during the recent crisis. Instead it launched a one year ‘flex scheme’ in May 2009 that allowed the firm to either put volunteer partners and salaried staff on a four-day

11 November 2010
Publication
Case study
Labour market policies
Working time
Working conditions
Working conditions and sustainable work

Restructuring in Belgium - Background paper

This background paper gives an overview of restructuring in Belgium from the first quarter of 2008 until the third quarter of 2010. Along with basic descriptive statistics outlining the employment effect of restructuring activities in Belgium, this overview includes brief narratives of individual

03 November 2010
Publication
Research report
Labour market policies
Employment and labour markets
Online resources results (199)

Croatia: The new Labour Act

Before the introduction of Croatia's new Labour Act, strict employment protection legislation meant a lack of labour market flexibility. The new law aims to increase the number of employed people, allow employers to develop more flexible business models and adapt to market demands, maintain employee

3 Marts 2015
Article
Working time
Labour market policies
Employment relationship
Labour law
Working conditions
Industrial relations
Labour and social regulation
Working conditions and sustainable work
Industrial relations and social dialogue

Spain: Recent growth in entrepreneurial activity

Experts acknowledge the success of Spanish measures to encourage self-employment, but argue that many unemployed people have decided to set up their own businesses only because they cannot find a job, and that necessity-driven new businesses have lower survival rates. They say entrepreneurship

18 Februāris 2015
Article
Labour market policies
Non-standard employment
Employment and labour markets

Denmark: New reform targets unemployment

On 16 June 2014, employment reform to promote flexibility and encourage a high employment rate was agreed by the Danish parliament. The aim is to ensure that businesses get the workers they need, and the unemployed can improve their skills and qualifications. The reform will come into force fully by

17 Decembris 2014
Article
Working time
Pay and income
Labour market policies
Job creation
Unemployment
Skills and training
Employment and labour markets
Social policies

Hungary: Labour market success of young skilled workers

A Hungarian research report surveyed 10,104 graduates of vocational training and assessed their labour market success nine months after they completed vocational education. The survey analyses factors such as age, gender and family background and concludes that good learning skills and general

16 Decembris 2014
Article
Labour market policies
Skills and training
Youth
Working conditions
Employment and labour markets
Working conditions and sustainable work

Spain: New findings on labour market performance of university graduates

The 2013–2014 annual report providing data on the Spanish university system focuses on the graduates of the 2005–2006 academic year, describing their subsequent labour market situation, including unemployment rates, self-employment, type of contract, income and mobility. In general, the data show

17 Oktobris 2014
Article
Labour market policies
Labour market participation
NEETs
Youth
Working conditions
Employment and labour markets
Working conditions and sustainable work

Sustainable employment and occupational profile

Keeping people in employment until retirement age is a hot topic in the Netherlands, as it is across the rest of the European Union. A series of Dutch studies shows that workers in some sectors are more likely to be able and willing to work until retirement age and others less so, such as craft and

5 Jūnijs 2014
Article
Labour market policies
Job quality
Sustainable work
Ageing workforce
Working conditions
Social policies
Working conditions and sustainable work

New government presents policy

A new coalition government of the populist Freedom Party (Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs, FPÖ) and the conservative People's Party (Österreichische Volkspartei, ÖVP) was formed on 4 February 2000. The participation of the populist FPÖ has caused unprecedented severe tensions in Austrian politics

8 Februāris 2004
Article
Labour market policies
Social policies
Employment and labour markets

Major restructuring agreement signed at Alitalia

In late March 2002, an important agreement was reached by Alitalia and trade unions on the restructuring of the Italian airline. The agreement relates to the company's business plan for 2002-3 and covers four main areas: general company restructuring measures, a joint procedure for monitoring the

21 Maijs 2002
Article
Work organisation
Labour market policies
Participation at work

Unions highlight unstable employment in Catalonia

In 2001-2, trade unions in the Catalonia region of Spain have taken a number of initiatives aimed at examining and criticising the level of unstable employment. CC.OO's Catalan organisation has drawn up a 'blacklist' of the 200 most unstable companies in the region, using a 'barometer of employment

29 Aprīlis 2002
Article
Social partners
Labour market policies
Non-standard employment
Labour law
Labour and social regulation

Council discusses European Cooperative Society and protection against asbestos

The Employment and Social Policy Council of Ministers met in Brussels on 7 March 2002 under the Spanish Presidency to discuss a range of issues. The Council first held a debate in preparation for the Barcelona European Council meeting on the economic, social and environmental situation, which took

28 Aprīlis 2002
Article
Labour market policies
Participation at work
Working conditions
Working conditions and sustainable work
Blogs results (10)
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EU lack of labour won't be solved by skills alone: Improving job quality is key

The European Commission declared 2023 as the European Year of Skills, stating ‘Helping people get the right skills for quality jobs and helping companies, in particular small and medium enterprises, address skills shortages in the EU is what this year is all about.’

27 Marts 2023
Tina Weber
Blog
Skills and training
Working conditions
Gender equality
Employment and labour markets
Labour market policies
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Recovering from this pandemic means rebuilding hope for the future

We need to study and understand the blow Europe’s youth have suffered from the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to adjust recovery and resilience measures to their needs: without prioritising young people in the present, we have little hope for the future.

3 Decembris 2021
Ivailo Kalfin
Blog
Youth
Subjective well-being
COVID-19
Labour market policies
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The pandemic aggravated labour shortages in some sectors; the problem is now emerging in others

Following the declines in employment rates and working hours across Europe in 2020, economies began to show signs of recovery during the first quarter of 2021. The gradual rekindling of economic activity has led to a surge in demand for workers and reawakened concerns over labour shortages

20 Jūlijs 2021
Dragoș Adăscăliței
Blog
Skills and training
Employment structure
European Pillar of Social Rights
Employment and labour markets
COVID-19
Labour market policies
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Minimum wages rise again, but the pandemic puts a brake on their growth

Decision-makers approached minimum wage setting for 2021 cautiously due to the economic uncertainty caused by the pandemic. Despite this, nominal statutory minimum wages rose in most Member States and the UK, although at lower rates than in recent years.

8 Jūnijs 2021
Carlos Vacas‑Soriano
Blog
Social dialogue
Pay and income
Working poor
Minimum wage
European Pillar of Social Rights
Labour market policies
Industrial relations and social dialogue
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Two worlds of income support during COVID-19

​​​​​​​To date, close to six million workers in the EU have lost their jobs due to COVID-19. Many businesses have closed their doors forever or been pushed to the brink, bringing severe financial and psychological hardship to the individuals and families affected. However, the toll of the pandemic

9 Februāris 2021
Tina Weber
Blog
COVID-19
Employment and labour markets
Labour market policies
Pay and income
Social protection
Unemployment
Working time
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Can short-time working save jobs during the COVID-19 crisis?

On 2 April, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a new fund of up to €100 billion to support EU Member States to introduce short-time working or similar schemes, including for the self-employed, in an effort to safeguard jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Known as SURE

5 Maijs 2020
Tina Weber
Blog
COVID-19
Labour market policies
Labour and social regulation
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Europe’s low-carbon transition makes economic sense

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 Februāris 2020
James Higgins
Blog
Employment and labour markets
European Green Deal
Industrial policy
Job creation
Just transition
Labour market policies
Structural change
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Where are all the good jobs?

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 Oktobris 2019
John Hurley
Blog
Employment structure
Labour market policies
Job creation
Job quality
Employment and labour markets
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The challenge of plenty: Tackling labour shortages in the EU

Unemployment in the EU is continuing to fall, with the rate approaching its 2008 low point. This is good news: the Europe 2020 target of 75% employment in the working age population is now in sight for many Member States. However, as unemployment reaches new lows, the opposite problem is emerging –

19 Novembris 2018
Catherine Cerf
Blog
Labour market participation
Labour market policies
Migration and mobility
Working conditions
Working conditions and sustainable work
Working time
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Platform work – Breaking barriers or breaking bad?

In the abstract, platform work is the matching of supply and demand for paid work through an online platform. In practice, most people are likely to have encountered it through big online platforms such as Uber, Deliveroo or Amazon Mechanical Turk. This is a new form employment that began to emerge

2 Novembris 2018
Irene Mandl
Blog
Platform work
Working conditions
New forms of employment
Digitalisation
Labour market policies
Anticipating and managing the impact of change
Working conditions and sustainable work
Upcoming publications results (2)

Company practices to tackle labour shortages

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
Employment and labour markets
Job creation
Labour market policies

COVID-19 support measures and their effects on mitigating the longer-term consequences of COVID-19 for business, work and employment

Job retention schemes were the main policy instruments used across the EU during the COVID-19 pandemic to preserve employment and support businesses. The report provides an analysis of job retention schemes in the EU, focusing on their institutional characteristics, their impact on employment levels

September 2024
Forthcoming
Publication
Research report
COVID-19
Employment and labour markets
Labour market policies

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