Eurofound's upcoming research in 2019

With a new European Parliament in place, and a new Commission imminent, it's all change at European level. Eurofound's upcoming research for the rest of 2019 reflects both established priorities under its work programme, as well as ongoing developments in work and life in Europe.

Below is a list of our headline research from October through to the end of the year. Just click on the publication title to sign-up to receive a notification as soon as the research is published. Our reports can be downloaded or ordered directly from our website, which features dedicated country pages and data visualisation across our surveys. 

Our media team, listed as contacts below, is here specifically to assist journalists and handle media inquiries, so please don't hesitate to get in contact. 

October 2019

Working time in the EU 2017-2018

This review covers various issues related to working time in the EU and Norway in 2017 and 2018. It is based mainly on contributions from the Network of Eurofound Correspondents.

Regional shifts in the employment structure: European Jobs Monitor 2019

This report examines in what kinds of jobs was employment created and destroyed in European labour markets in recent years and whether European occupational structures are polarising, upgrading or downgrading. Additionally, it reviews how shifts in the employment structure are distributed across regions and, for example, whether large metropolitan areas are generating relatively faster employment growth and whether this is contributing to employment polarisation where it is observed at country level.

How to respond to chronic health problems in the workplace?

This policy brief is one of a series of six short outputs based on further analysis of data from the European Working Conditions Survey 2015. Each of these is directed at a relatively narrow subject, with the aim of providing evidence on specific aspects of working conditions that can be improved in order to make work more sustainable over the life course.

Challenges and prospects in the EU: Quality of life and public services

What have been the major developments in quality of life and public services in Europe, as captured by the activities Quality of life and quality of society and Public services of the Eurofound work programmes 2017–2018? This flagship publication combines findings of Eurofound's research on trust in institutions, social cohesion; access to and quality of health and care services; the impact of digitalisation on social services; access to services for young people; and measures of refugee integration.

Recent developments in the state of the middle classes

This report traces the size of the middle class in the EU between 2004 and 2015 using data from the EU-SILC survey. It goes on to examine life satisfaction by income quintile using data from Eurofound’s European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS).

November 2019

Labour market segmentation: Piloting a new quantitative and policy analysis

This report investigates which policies or instruments are most effective in combating labour market segmentation, taking into account the specific situational characteristics of labour market segmentation. It sets out what segmentation is and why it is problematic for the labour market and society, as well as disadvantaged groups.

Facts and figures on European sectoral social dialogue

This report brings together key facts and figures, plus background information, on European sectoral social dialogue. It complements Eurofound's studies on the representativeness of individual sectors.

Improving monitoring of posted workers in the EU

To offer services in another Member State, an employer may send an employee for a limited period of time to provide a service in this Member State. Intra-EU posting of workers is a specific form of labour mobility for which concerns about abuse and unfair competition are often raised. This report seeks to: assess the data available regarding posting of workers; propose the kind of data that would be required to enable better monitoring of the situation of such workers; and evaluate the kind of analysis that would be possible based on these improved data sources.

December 2019

Gender equality: Funding for women entrepreneurs

This report, based mainly on inputs from the Eurofound Network of Correspondents, looks at how EU-level debates in this area of working life are reflected in the Member States and compares the approaches in different Member Status to the subject of funding as a tool for promoting gender equality.

Working conditions of workers of foreign background

This policy brief is one of a series of six short outputs based on further analysis of data from the European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS) 2015. Each of these is directed at a relatively narrow subject, with the aim of providing evidence on specific aspects of working conditions that can be improved in order to make work more sustainable over the life course.

Casual work: Extent and implications

This report examines what forms of casual work are prevalent in the Member States of the European Union, what regulatory frameworks (labour law or collective agreements) exist for casual work in selected Member States and whether there evidence of the fraudulent use of regulations regarding casual work. It also looks at the characteristics of employers and employees engaged in casual work, their reasons for doing so and the effects of casual work on the working conditions, social protection and employment rights of employees. It also considers the policy implications of these findings.

Neighbourhood quality and public services in major European cities

The European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS) 2016 examined a range of aspects affecting quality of life in European cities. This policy brief concentrates on major indicators explored in the EQLS, with a focus on public services and neighbourhood characteristics. It provides information of interest both to planners of future urban development and to cities themselves that have a key role in contemporary debates on development, service provision and policy innovations.

Household composition and well-being

This report provides an overview of the types of household in Europe, profiling them in terms of living conditions and well-being and identifying forms of social vulnerability. Among the subjects it addresses are: the living conditions, living arrangements and quality of life of multigenerational households and of households having disabled members and members in need of care. It also examines the profiles of people living in single-person households and the living arrangements of young people.