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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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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.

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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 (148)

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

Financing and operating active labour market programmes during the crisis - Background paper

This customised report responds to a request from the EESC’s Labour Market Observatory (LMO) for the Foundation to present data, research and findings on the financing and operation of active labour market programmes during and after the crisis (2008 to date). Eurofound proposed to use its network

25 October 2010
Publication
Customised report
Labour market policies
Employment and labour markets
Online resources results (199)

Unemployment rate falls

The unemployment rate in France fell from 12.6% in June 1997 to 9% in January 2001, and labour shortages are starting to appear in some sectors. In early 2001, there has been considerable debate among the social partners and other parties as to the respective roles in the reduction of unemployment

27 mars 2001
Article
Unemployment
Job creation
Labour market policies
Working time
Social protection
Employment and labour markets

Social partners face BSE emergency

The bovine spongiform encephalitis (BSE) emergency affecting cattle is having a profound impact not only on health concerns but also on the economy and industrial relations in Italy. The crisis exploded in November 2000, following the alarm raised by the discovery that some French cattle were

27 februari 2001
Article
Labour market policies
Collective bargaining
Labour and social regulation

PT criticises new incomes policy agreement

In January 2001, the Employers' Confederation of Service Industries (PT) published an economic and employment survey, which concludes that the demand for service sector employment is taking a downward turn. The organisation criticises the new national incomes policy agreement for 2001-2 as being too

27 januari 2001
Article
Pay and income
Social partners
Labour market policies
Employment and labour markets

Workers with disabilities still face employment integration problems and discrimination

Disabled people in France are benefiting from the improved employment situation considerably less than other workers. In spite of legislation on employment quotas, their integration into the mainstream workforce has been limited, while they are often subject to discrimination, particularly in

27 januari 2001
Article
Discrimination at work
Labour market policies
Skills and training
Employment and labour markets
Social policies

Teleworking in focus

There are variations in the definition of teleworking (TN9811201S [1]). In a broad sense, teleworking refers to any telesales staff, freelance businesses, consultants, mobile workers and technical support staff. In a narrower sense, teleworking specifically refers to people who use information and

27 januari 2001
Article
Teleworking
Working time
Labour market policies
Working conditions
Employment and labour markets
Working conditions and sustainable work

Active labour market policies do not increase wage pressure

Extensive labour market programmes, offering subsidised employment and training to unemployed people, do not significantly contribute to increasing pressure on wages. This is the main finding of a paper published in November 2000 by two economic researchers at the governmental Office of Labour

27 december 2000
Article
Labour market policies
Unemployment
Pay and income
Skills and training
Employment and labour markets

The labour and social policy of the Federation of Austrian Industry

The Federation of Austrian Industry (Vereinigung der österreichischen Industrie [1], VÖI) is Austria's second central employers' organisation, alongside the Chamber of the Economy (Wirtschaftskammer Österreich, WKÖ) (AT0009230F [2]). VÖI is a voluntary association (WKÖ membership is compulsory) of

27 december 2000
Article
Social partners
Social dialogue
Social policies
Labour market policies
Employment and labour markets
Industrial relations
Industrial relations and social dialogue

Shift in employment policy proposed

In December 2000, the Economic Analysis Council published a report looking at the criteria necessary to attain" full employment" in France by 2010. Macroeconomic policies guaranteeing strong, sustained growth require more stringent structural policies to stimulate labour supply and improve labour

27 december 2000
Article
Labour market policies
Migration and mobility
Social protection
Working time
Employment and labour markets

SEV criticises new draft bill on employment

In late November 2000, Federation of Greek Industries (SEV) commented on the government's recently issued draft bill on employment, which contains a number of measures reforming aspects of industrial relations such as overtime, working time flexibility and social insurance contributions. The

27 december 2000
Article
Labour and social regulation
Labour law
Working time
Labour market policies
Non-standard employment
Retirement
Working conditions
Social policies
Working conditions and sustainable work

Report allays fears over impact of eastwards enlargement

On 21 May 2000 the findings of a report entitled The impact of eastern enlargement on employment and wages in the EU Member States [1] were presented by the European Commission. The research, which was carried out on behalf of the Commission, attempts to address a number of concerns voiced by the

27 juni 2000
Article
Migration and mobility
Labour market policies
Job creation
Pay and income
Working conditions
Employment and labour markets
Social policies
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 mars 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 december 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 juli 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 juni 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 februari 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 maj 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 februari 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 oktober 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 november 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 november 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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