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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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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.

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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 (148)

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

The European Restructuring Monitor’s annual report for 2014 explores the rapid transformation of the public sector in Europe since the onset of the financial crisis in 2008. Initially, employment expansion in the sector helped to stabilise Europe’s economy while the private sector suffered severe

04 March 2015

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

This report looks in detail at recent shifts in the employment structure at Member State and EU level, examining the main sectors and occupations that have contributed to job loss and job growth. It finds, for example, that in 2011–2013, the majority of net employment losses continued to occur in

07 July 2014

This policy brief highlights findings on a specific topic from Eurofound’s European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS) that is of particular interest from a policy perspective. It brings results of the analysis of these data together with evidence from other Eurofound projects to formulate a number of

14 June 2014

Ireland’s economy is relatively small and trade-dependent and is considered one of the most globalised and open in the world. It suffered disproportionate damage following the 2008–2009 global recession as a large construction and financial sector bust revealed widespread misallocation of resources

26 March 2013

This report describes recent structural shifts in employment in European labour markets before, during and after the 2008–2009 recession. It finds that employment destruction across Europe in the recession was strongly polarising in terms of the wage structure, while there was less polarisation in

13 March 2013

The aim of flexicurity is to improve employment opportunities for workers, while at the same time increasing flexibility, enabling organisations to adapt their operations and employment levels to business needs. The past few years have, however, been particularly challenging for European labour

03 July 2012

This report summarises available data on recent employment trends for older workers in the EU27 as well as the results of organisation case studies and overviews on developments in workplace age management undertaken by Eurofound in 2011. The first section uses Eurostat data to provide a statistical

23 May 2012

The concept of flexicurity – a strategy to enhance flexibility and security in the labour market at the same time – gained new momentum with the advent of the economic crisis. Public and policy discussions are now dealing with the question of whether flexicurity also works during times of economic

19 March 2012

Online resources results (199)

INE annual report highlights low wages

The Institute of Labour (INE) of Greece's GSEE and ADEDY trade union confederations issued its third annual economic and employment outlook in September 2001. The report highlights wage differentials between EU Member States and income inequality in Greece, contrasted with the good performance of

New Employment Contracts Act in force

The Employment Contracts Act – known as the "constitution for working life" - is a cornerstone of Finnish employment law, and governs such basic issues as drawing up contracts of employment, the rights and duties of employers and employees, the terms and conditions of employment, the grounds for

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

New initiatives on gender equality

In summer 2001, addressing gender inequalities has been high on the agenda of the government and social partners in Portugal. In June, new legislation came into effect aimed at reinforcing mechanisms to monitor and punish discriminatory employment practices, and at measuring the progress being made

Social partners assess NAP

In April 2001, the Spanish government presented its 2001 National Action Plan (NAP) for employment, which involves spending over ESP 2 billion on measure to combat unemployment. Trade unions have criticised the fact that the Plan was not negotiated with the social partners, though they were informed

Youth employment scheme consolidated

In June 2001, the French government announced measures aimed at consolidating the "youth employment-new services" scheme (EJNS) introduced in 1997. The majority of the jobs created under the scheme will be renewed while, for the young people concerned, the government is seeking to establish support

Council of Ministers reaches political agreement on employee consultation Directive

On 11 June 2001, the EU Employment and Social Policy Council of Ministers, meeting in Luxembourg (EU0106220F [1]) reached political agreement on a common position on the proposed Directive establishing a general framework for informing and consulting employees in the European Community [2]

Gothenburg summit focuses on employment and the ageing workforce

The European Council met on 15-16 June 2001 near the end of the Swedish EU Presidency, which hands the baton to the Belgian government on 1 July. The Council's debates took place against a backdrop of anti-globalisation demonstrations staged across the city of Gothenburg. A number of social policy

Trade union views and proposals on the 2001 NAP

In spring 2001, the Greek government has been drawing up its new National Action Plan (NAP) for employment, in response to the EU Employment Guidelines, and conducting a dialogue with the social partners on the NAP's content. Here we outline the positions and proposals of the Greek General

Government introduces new labour market reform

A series of intersectoral agreements on employment promotion signed by the Spanish social partners in April 1997 are due to expire in May 2001. The social partners started negotiations over a new version of these agreements in summer 2000 but, in view of their failure to reach a consensus, in March


Blogs results (10)
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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 mars 2023
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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 december 2021
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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 juli 2021
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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.

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​​​​​​​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 februari 2021
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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 maj 2020
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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 februari 2020
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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 oktober 2019
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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
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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 november 2018
Upcoming publications results (2)

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

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

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