Trust
Social or interpersonal trust concerns trust between individuals, while trust in institutions is defined as confidence in state organisations (parliament, government, the police or the courts) or non-state organisations (media, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), churches or corporations). Trust in people and institutions is a factor in determining quality of society, is a powerful indicator of well-being both at individual and societal level, and is a major public concern of our times. As society changes, tensions, participation, community involvement and the role of government all impact on levels of trust.
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European Working Conditions Survey 2024 – Highlights
This digital story presents the highlights from the European Working Conditions Survey 2024 overview report. It explores key findings from each chapter of the report focusing on the European workforce, workplace practices, measuring job quality, trends over time in job quality, as well as the quality of working life in the EU.European Working Conditions Survey 2024: Overview report
Now in its eighth edition, the European Working Conditions Survey 2024 maps changes in working life over more than three decades. This high-quality, probability-based survey covers 35 European countries, including the 27 EU Member States, Norway, Switzerland, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Kosovo and Serbia. Over 36,600 face-to-face interviews, each lasting approximately 45 minutes, took place as part of the survey.Shaping Europe’s social and employment future
The European Union is navigating a period of profound transformation - from the cost‑of‑living crisis to the green and digital transitions, demographic shifts, and geopolitical uncertainty. At the heart of the EU’s response to these challenges stands the Employment and Social Affairs Committee of the European Parliament. With 60 Members, the Committee plays a central role in ensuring fair working conditions, strong social protection, and equal opportunities across the Union.Aspects of trust are covered across a range of Eurofound research, in its surveys and other research linked with improving living and working conditions in the EU.
Trust in public institutions is an important prerequisite for implementing necessary policy reform. In terms of action that can facilitate trust in institutions, the EU takes measures in strengthening the rule of law, raising citizens’ awareness and fighting disinformation.
During the Great recession of 2008, trust in institutions declined sharply, but by 2016–2017 levels of trust and social cohesion recovered overall in the EU, perceived social exclusion declined and active citizenship and civic engagement increased. Improving the quality of public services was found to be the most powerful driver of boosting trust in institutions.
As COVID-19 has had far-reaching consequences, trust in government and each other has never been a more central issue. Maintaining trust in institutions during these challenging times is vital in ensuring a coordinated, comprehensive and effective response to the pandemic, to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as well as in designing the future of the EU.
This is a selection of the most important outputs for this topic.
16 November 2022
Maintaining trust during the COVID-19 pandemic
The report examines how citizens’ trust in institutions – including national governments, the EU, science and the media – evolved during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. The role of the media is analysed, in particular the relationship between the use of social media and trust and the impact of misinformation (incorrect or misleading information) and disinformation (deliberately deceptive information) during the crisis period. Based on an extensive literature review, the report describes the consequences of COVID-19 policy measures, with a focus on citizens’ trust in their national institutions and in the EU. The report outlines the dynamics of trust and discontent in the context of the pandemic, including the influence of the vaccination roll-out.
25 July 2022
Trust in national institutions is falling: Data behind the decline
6 July 2022
Fifth round of the Living, working and COVID-19 e-survey: Living in a new era of uncertainty
The fifth round of Eurofound's e-survey, fielded from 25 March to 2 May 2022, sheds light on the social and economic situation of people across Europe two years after COVID-19 was first detected on the European continent. It also explores the reality of living in a new era of uncertainty caused by the war in Ukraine, inflation, and rising energy prices.
The findings of the e-survey reveal the heavy toll of the pandemic, with respondents reporting lower trust in institutions than at the start of the pandemic, poorer mental well-being, a rise in the level of unmet healthcare needs and an increase in the number of households experiencing energy poverty.
9 May 2021
Living, working and COVID-19 (Update April 2021): Mental health and trust decline across EU as pandemic enters another year
The third round of Eurofound's e-survey, fielded in February and March 2021, sheds light on the social and economic situation of people across Europe following nearly a full year of living with COVID-19 restrictions. This report analyses the main findings and tracks ongoing developments and trends across the 27 EU Member States since the survey was first launched in April 2020. It pinpoints issues that have surfaced over the course of the pandemic, such as increased job insecurity due to the threat of job loss, decline in mental well-being levels, erosion of recent gains in gender equality, fall in trust levels vis-à-vis institutions, deterioration of work–life balance and growth of vaccine hesitancy. The results of the survey highlight the need for a holistic approach to support all the groups hit hard by the crisis in order to prevent them from falling further behind.
12 October 2020
European Company Survey 2019 - Workplace practices unlocking employee potential
This report is based on the fourth edition of the European Company Survey (ECS), which was carried out jointly by Eurofound and Cedefop in 2019. It describes a wide range of practices and strategies implemented by European companies in terms of work organisation, human resource management, skills use and skills development, and employee voice. The report shows how these practices are combined and how the resulting ‘bundles of practices’ are associated with two outcomes beneficial to employees and employers: workplace well-being and establishment performance.
The analysis finds that the establishments that are most likely to generate this win–win outcome are those that combine a high degree of worker autonomy, a balanced motivational strategy, a comprehensive training and learning strategy, and high levels of direct employee involvement in decision-making, as well as offering managerial support for these practices. To boost the adoption of employee-oriented practices – particularly in relation to autonomy, skills and employee involvement – managers should be offered appropriate support, as they play a key role in the decision to initiate workplace change. They are also crucial to its success, as they must continuously support the workplace practices implemented.
12 December 2018
Societal change and trust in institutions
As data from the European Quality of Life Surveys and Eurobarometer show, the sharp decline in trust in institutions was a temporary phenomenon during the recession. In some Member States, trust in the EU declined more during this period than trust in national governments, but trust in the EU has generally remained higher than trust in national governments in most countries. The report shows that moderating social tensions and feelings of social exclusion can help to stem the decline in trust. However, to boost trust in institutions, improving the quality of public services is the most powerful driver. A number of encouraging and practical consequences result from trust in public institutions: for example, countries with higher trust in political institutions have a lower level of tax evasion (VAT gap) and greater public support for policy reforms. An executive summary is also available - see Related content.
Researchers at Eurofound provide expert insights and can be contacted for questions or media requests.
Daphne Ahrendt
Senior research managerDaphne Ahrendt is a senior research manager in the Social Policies unit at Eurofound. She is the coordinator of the survey management and development activity. In 2020, she initiated Eurofound’s Living and Working in the EU e-survey and now leads the 2026 European Quality of Life Survey, which she has worked on since the survey started in 2003. With over 30 years of experience in international survey research, she is also a member of the GESIS Scientific Advisory Board. Beyond surveys, her substantive research focuses on social cohesion, trust and the inclusion of persons with disabilities. Daphne started her career at the National Centre for Social Research in London where she worked on the International Social Survey Programme before moving to the Eurobarometer Unit at the European Commission. She holds a Master's degree in Criminal Justice Policies from the London School of Economics and a Bachelor's degree in Political Science from San Francisco State University.
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