labour_market_participation.jpg

Labour market participation

The declining number of people active in the labour market makes increased labour force participation one of the primary drivers behind labour market policies. The European Employment Strategy promotes active ageing, gender equality and the integration in the labour market of young people, older workers, people with disabilities, migrants, low-skilled and other vulnerable groups. The employment rate, in other words the proportion of the working age population that is in employment, is considered to be a key social indicator for analytical purposes when studying developments within labour markets.

Topic

Recent updates

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
caros-vacas-2023.png

Carlos Vacas‑Soriano

Carlos Vacas Soriano is a research manager in the Employment unit at Eurofound. He works on topics related to wage and income inequalities, minimum wages, low pay, job quality...

Research manager,
Employment research unit
Publications results (111)

Policy lessons from the fifth EWCS: The pursuit of more and better jobs

This report examines the evidence and policy lessons that can be drawn from the findings of the fifth European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS) carried out in 2010. The focus is on the links between working conditions and labour market participation in the light of the EU’s longstanding policy

25 September 2014
Publication
Research report
Working conditions
Labour market policies
Labour market participation
Job quality
Employment and labour markets
Working conditions and sustainable work

Mapping youth transitions in Europe

Young people in Europe continue to experience great difficulties in entering the labour market. Although the youth unemployment rate in a few Member States has started to fall, overall 23% of young European job-seekers aged 15–24 could not find a job in January 2014. In 2012, 14.6 million young

23 July 2014
Publication
Research report
Youth
NEETs
Inclusive labour markets
Labour market participation
Employment and labour markets

Tackling undeclared work in Iceland

The aim of this report is to provide a systematic overview of the extent and nature of undeclared work, and how it is being tackled, in the EU candidate country of Iceland. The objectives of the report are to analyse the prevalence and character of undeclared work in Iceland; to examine how the

22 July 2013
Publication
Research report
Structural change
Fraudulent work
Labour market participation
Employment and labour markets

Tackling undeclared work in Montenegro

The aim of this report is to provide a systematic overview of the extent and nature of undeclared work, and how it is being tackled, in the EU candidate country of Montenegro. The objectives of the report are to analyse the prevalence and character of undeclared work in Montenegro, to examine how

22 July 2013
Publication
Research report
Structural change
Fraudulent work
Labour market participation
Employment and labour markets

Tackling undeclared work in Croatia

The aim of this report is to provide a systematic overview of the extent and nature of undeclared work, and how it is being tackled, in the EU acceding country of Croatia. The objectives of the report are to analyse the prevalence and character of undeclared work in Croatia; to examine how the fight

27 June 2013
Publication
Research report
Structural change
Fraudulent work
Labour market participation
Employment and labour markets

Tackling undeclared work in 27 EU Member States and Norway: Approaches and measures since 2008

Since the publication of previous reports on how undeclared work is being tackled in the 27 Member States of the European Union (EU27) and Norway (Eurofound, 2008, 2009), the ongoing recession took hold. The aim of this report is to provide an updated overview of the policy approaches and measures

09 June 2013
Publication
Research report
Undeclared work
Structural change
Fraudulent work
Labour market participation
Employment and labour markets

Tackling undeclared work in Croatia and four EU candidate countries

The aim of this report is to provide a systematic overview of the extent and nature of undeclared work, and how it is being tackled, in Croatia and four EU candidate countries: Iceland, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro and Turkey. The objectives are to analyse the magnitude and

09 June 2013
Publication
Research report
Undeclared work
Structural change
Fraudulent work
Labour market participation
Employment and labour markets

Tackling undeclared work in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

The aim of this report is to provide a systematic overview of the extent and nature of undeclared work, and how it is being tackled, in the EU candidate country of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The objectives of the report are to analyse the prevalence and character of undeclared work

03 June 2013
Publication
Research report
Structural change
Fraudulent work
Labour market participation
Employment and labour markets

Tackling undeclared work in Turkey

The aim of this report is to provide a systematic overview of the extent and nature of undeclared work, and how it is being tackled, in the EU candidate country Turkey. The objectives of the report are to analyse the prevalence and character of undeclared work in Turkey; to examine how the fight

03 June 2013
Publication
Research report
Structural change
Fraudulent work
Labour market participation
Employment and labour markets

Building intercultural bridges in European cities: Lessons for local migrant integration policy

This report briefly summarises the policy relevant experiences of the CLIP network (cities for local integration policy) of more than 35 European cities in 22 countries over a period of five years from 2006 to 2010. CLIP was founded with the objective of improving local integration policy for

06 May 2013
Publication
Research report
Social inclusion
Living conditions and quality of life
Social policies
Migration and mobility
Labour market participation
Promoting social cohesion and convergence
Online resources results (34)

An employment pact for older workers?

The participation rate of the over-50 age group in the labour market is low in Austria by European standards, and the unemployment rate amongst this group is high. This is true regardless of qualifications and includes managers over 50. Experts agree that the transition into the age-determined

27 marec 1999
Article
Ageing workforce
Labour market participation
Employment relationship
Social protection
Working conditions
Working conditions and sustainable work

Ageism back on the employment agenda

On 13 August 1998, the Department for Education and Employment (DOFEE) published the report of its consultation process on age discrimination [1], which had been launched in October 1997. This involved a wide-ranging and informal set of meetings and submissions involving interested parties such as

27 september 1998
Article
Ageing workforce
Labour market participation

Uncertainties of the informal economy: a Belgian perspective

A recent study by DGV of the European Commission on the "informal" or "shadow" economy across EU Member States reveals a number of interesting facts (Communication on undeclared work[PDF file] [1], COM(98)219, European Commission, April 1998 - EU9804197F [2]). The shadow economy is estimated to

27 august 1998
Article
Labour market participation
Social protection
Social policies

LO concerned about measures promoting self-employment

Contractor, free agent, self-employed, freelancer - there are many names for people selling their competence, skills, services and labour without having an employment contract. Even if Sweden, together with Denmark, has the lowest figures in the EU (8% of the total occupied labour force compared

27 júl 1998
Article
Non-standard employment
Labour market participation
Small and medium-sized enterprises
Labour law
Employee representation
Employment and labour markets
Industrial relations
Industrial relations and social dialogue

New legislation promotes participation of ethnic minorities

The Dutch Government is seeking to promote the participation of people from ethnic minorities on the labour market by means of a new law, adopted in April 1998. Previous legislation was generally considered to be inadequate. Many provisions of the new law have been borrowed from a 1996 agreement

27 máj 1998
Article
Labour market participation
Employee representation

Austrian survey reveals patterns of parental leave

Commissioned by the Public Employment Service (Arbeitsmarktservice, AMS), the Institute of Demographics at the Austrian Academy of Sciences (Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften, ÖAW) has produced a detailed study on the use and effects of parental leave. The legislation on parental leave has

27 apríl 1998
Article
Leave
Gender equality
Social protection
Employment relationship
Labour market participation
Working conditions
Social policies
Working conditions and sustainable work

Commission targets undeclared work

On 7 April 1998, the European Commission adopted a /Communication on undeclared work/ in which it calls for a debate on the subject as part of the European employment strategy. According to a Commision study, undeclared work represents between 7% and 16% of European Union's GDP- a significant

27 apríl 1998
Article
Labour market participation
Migration and mobility

Employers and unions agree on the promotion of a multicultural working life

The issue of legislating against discrimination on grounds of ethnic origin in working life has been debated in Sweden for the last 30 years, but it was not until 1994 that the first law was enacted. To the very last, even one of the trade union confederations asserted that collective agreements

27 február 1998
Article
Labour market participation
Discrimination at work
Collective bargaining
Industrial relations
Industrial relations and social dialogue

Women in the Belgian labour market: discrimination persists

There are several reasons for the unequal labour market position of men and women. A significant factor is horizontal segregation on the labour market, that is, the fact that men and women end up in different sectors and occupations. Around 40% of all those at work in Belgium are women; however

27 september 1997
Article
Labour market participation
Gender equality
Working conditions and sustainable work
Employee representation

Disproportionate number of older employees made redundant by Dutch companies

Although the Dutch Government and the social partners are keen to promote the participation of older employees on the labour market, it is reported that companies currently make disproportionately more older employees redundant. Following the Government's withdrawal of its "Directive concerning

27 september 1997
Article
Ageing workforce
Labour market participation
Restructuring
Retirement
Social policies
Working conditions
Working conditions and sustainable work
Blogs results (9)
image_webinar_08032022.png

Marking International Women's Day - Sharing the caring: a necessary step towards gender equality

8 marec 2022
John Hurley
Blog
Teleworking
Work-life balance
Gender equality
Employment and labour markets
Labour market participation
ef21075_v2.png

Good news for gender equality as we exit the COVID-19 crisis?

The pandemic has had differential impacts on women. Raised consciousness about them must be applied to advance gender equality in recovery measures. All crises have a strongly gendered impact and none more so than the current pandemic, across a range of indicators. While the virus itself seems to

28 apríl 2021
Maria Jepsen
Blog
Care
COVID-19
Employment and labour markets
Gender equality
Labour market participation
Pay and income
Teleworking
Work-life balance
Working conditions
ef21069.png

Choosing to challenge – the EU Gender Equality Strategy one year in

8 marec 2021
Anna Gallinat
Blog
COVID-19
Gender equality
Labour market participation
Pay and income
Work-life balance
ef20085.png

Could COVID-19 unravel years of progress on gender equality in employment?

​​​​​​​The decades-long trend of a narrowing gender employment gap in Europe has halted in recent years. Now the COVID-19 pandemic is disproportionately affecting low-paying service sectors with a high share of social contact, including many with a majority of female workers, risking forcing them

9 december 2020
Martina Bisello
Blog
Work-life balance
Gender equality
Labour market participation
Employment and labour markets
image_blog_youth_23102020.png

Youth in a time of COVID

The exponential growth of COVID-19 cases across Europe this autumn has quickly erased hopes that the virus had been contained and confirmed the surge of another wave of the pandemic. With Member States now implementing new restrictive measures for the second time since March in an attempt to control

23 október 2020
Massimiliano Mascherini
Blog
COVID-19
Promoting social cohesion and convergence
Skills and training
Youth
Subjective well-being
Labour market participation
ef20074.png

Tentative growth in trust shows COVID-19 has not yet torn the social fabric of Europe

As Europe faces into what appears to be a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, concern is mounting about the evolution and dramatic impact of the disease, with rising numbers of infections, hospitalisations and deaths. There is also a growing focus on the repercussions for the economy, the labour

7 október 2020
Juan Menéndez-Valdés
Blog
COVID-19
Trust
Living conditions and quality of life
Working conditions
Teleworking
Labour market participation
Working conditions and sustainable work
image2_blog_the_challenge_of_plenty_19112018.png

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 november 2018
Catherine Cerf
Blog
Labour market participation
Labour market policies
Migration and mobility
Working conditions
Working conditions and sustainable work
Working time
image_blog_labour_market_integration_15112018.jpg

Not finished at 50: Keeping older workers in work

Over the last decade, European labour markets have seen a surge in the number of older workers in work and a continuous decline in their unemployment rates. A lot of young and middle-aged workers lost their jobs in the Great Recession, but not so the older age group. This favourable state of affairs

15 november 2018
Irene Mandl
Blog
Working conditions and sustainable work
Sustainable work
Employment and labour markets
Labour market participation
Ageing workforce
hjy6snpldhailjsveikm.jpg

The gender employment gap – an issue that affects us all

In his recent State of the Union address, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker laid out his vision for the EU over the next 12 months. There was no shirking of responsibility; Europe faces difficult challenges, and the EU Institutions, as well as the Member States, must deliver for EU

20 október 2016
Juan Menéndez-Valdés
Blog
Gender equality
Inclusive labour markets
Inequality
Employment and labour markets
Labour market participation
Working conditions
Working conditions and sustainable work
Data results (2)

Share of main population groups among persons granted temporary protection in the EU (%)

28 marec 2024

Sectoral pattern: Number of countries ranking each sector as among the top four for employing Ukrainian refugees, selected countries

28 marec 2024

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.