EMCC European Monitoring Centre on Change

Occupational change and wage inequality: European Jobs Monitor 2017

In 2016, somewhat later than in other developed economies, the EU recovered all the net employment losses sustained since the global financial crisis. Employment growth since 2013 has been only modestly skewed towards well-paid jobs; growth has been robust in low-paid and mid-paid jobs too. Newer jobs are increasingly likely to be full time rather than part time. Part 1 of this sixth annual European Jobs Monitor report takes a detailed look at shifts in employment at Member State and EU levels from 2011 Q2 to 2016 Q2. Part 2 examines the role that occupations play in structuring European wage inequality. It finds that occupations have their own effect on wage inequality as well as mediating other factors such as human capital and social class. It also finds that occupational dynamics did not drive wage inequality developments in the last decade, a period of intense structural change in European labour markets.

The full report and the executive summary are now available.