Skip to content

Topics: European Union issues

  • The gender employment gap – an issue that affects us all

    In the following blog piece Eurofound Director Juan Menéndez-Valdés looks at the issue of the gender employment gap in Europe, and how the difference in labour market participation between women and men has far-reaching implications.

  • Il nuovo rapporto di Eurofound - The Gender Employment Gap: Challenges and solutions

    Il nuovo rapporto di Eurofound – "Gender Employment Gap: challenges and solutions” è stato presentato al Parlamento Europeo martedì 11 Ottobre 2016.
    Nonostante il tasso di occupazione femminile sia aumentato durante la crisi economica, la divergenza nell’occupazione tra uomini e donne in Europa e nella maggior parte dei paeasi membri è ancora significativa. A questo proposito, il rapporto si co

  • Publication alert - The gender employment gap: Challenges and solutions

    Eurofound's new publication The gender employment gap: Challenges and solutions will be presented to the European Parliament's Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality tomorrow at 5.00 pm (CET), and will subsequently be available to download directly from our website. Watch the presentation live at http://bit.ly/FEMMComm.
    For further information please contact either our promotions team,

  • Trust and dialogue are the secrets to business success in times of crisis

    In the following blog piece Eurofound Senior Programme Manager Stavroula Demetriades looks at the relationship between social dialogue and business success, particularly during times of crisis. 
    Europe has gone through significant economic change over the past decade. Businesses have had to manage the challenges posed by the financial crisis, globalisation and a rapidly changing labour market. 

  • Charting the state of housing across the EU

    The prevalence of structural problems in dwellings in the EU varies considerably between Member States.
    On average, 12% of EU residents report damp or leaks in their walls and roofs; 9% live in accommodation with rot in the windows, doors or floors; and 14% of resident indicate that they cannot afford to keep their home adequately warm.
    Such problems are most common in Cyprus, where 51% of d

  • A year in review – working life in 2015

    A new report from Eurofound – Developments in working life in Europe: EurWORK annual review 2015 – collates information based on research from Eurofound’s network of European correspondents. The correspondents report national-level information on industrial relations and working conditions for the Agency’s European Observatory of Working Life (EurWORK).
    The material, published in the form of a

  • Irish Minister for Social Protection visits Eurofound

    On 7 September, Leo Varadkar (pictured right), Irish Minister for Social Protection, visited Eurofound. He met with Eurofound’s Director Juan Menéndez-Valdés and senior research and communications staff to learn more about the Agency’s work in the fields of sustainable work and inclusive labour markets. Eurofound has recently published a report analysing Member States’ strategies to make work more

  • Combining work with partial retirement

    With people living longer and birth rates falling across Europe, a priority of EU policy is to encourage Europeans to remain in work beyond current retirement ages, to minimise pressure on pension systems.
    At present, older workers often leave the workforce before statutory retirement age, with health problems and care responsibilities cited as common reasons. Many more people simply wish to w

  • The true cost of poor housing

    The cost of people living in inadequate housing in the EU Member States is hitting economies to the tune of nearly €194 billion per year, a new report from Eurofound states. The cost of addressing the shortcomings of the housing stock would be in the region of €295 billion (at 2011 prices). However, the report maintains, the outlay could be quickly recouped from savings on healthcare and a range o

  • Representativeness at the heart of European decision-making

    On the eve of the 11th International Labour and Employment Relations Association (ILERA) European Congress, we look at the issue of representativeness in Europe, and how ensuring that workers and employers are fairly represented at EU-level is an important aspect of European democracy.
    Ensuring that the interests of workers and employers are fairly balanced and represented has been one of the d

  • Inadequate housing is costing Europe €194 billion per year

    Inadequate and poor housing is costing EU economies nearly €194 billion per year in terms of both direct costs associated with healthcare and related medical or social services, as well as indirect costs such as lost productivity and reduced opportunities. The removal of housing inadequacies across the EU, or at least improving them to an acceptable level, would cost about €295 billion at 2011 pri

  • Findings in Figures - Eurofound News July/August 2016

    Some interesting figures from the July/August edition of Eurofound News:
    13,000 – the entire workforce of Marinopoulos, one of the largest supermarket chains in Greece, who have been made redundant as a result of the company’s bankruptcy.
    22% – the gender pay gap in the Czech Republic, which in March 2016 prompted the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs to launch a five-year campaign to na

  • Eurofound News July/August 2016 - In Brief

    From Eurofound News July/August 2016
    Taking action to make work sustainable
    For Europe to achieve its goals for growth, workers will have to work for longer and more people will have to work. This requires new thinking to make work sustainable over the life course. In other words, it means achieving living and working conditions that enable workers to retain their physical and mental health,

  • Summer Groups meeting of the Eurofound Governing Board

    From Eurofound News July/August 2016
    Twice each year, the Board members meet in their separate stakeholder groups – Member State governments, trade unions and employer organisations – taking the opportunity to draw up their own meeting agenda and to discuss the issues of specific interest to their group.
    The Board’s European Commission representatives are not present at the Groups meetings;

  • Contributing evidence to public debate

    From Eurofound News July/August 2016
    Last month’s referendum resulting in the UK’s decision to leave the EU has left policymakers on both sides of the English Channel seeking greater clarity, and not just regarding the UK’s future relationship with Europe.
    Post-referendum analysis has highlighted public concerns on a range of issues central to the European policy agenda – migration, labour m

  • Working with the Slovak Presidency

    From Eurofound News July/August 2016
    Slovakia took over the Presidency of the European Council from the Netherlands on 1 July, at a time of considerable challenges for the EU.
    The priorities of the Presidency are: an economically strong Europe; a modern single market; sustainable migration and asylum policies; and a globally engaged Europe. Eurofound is cooperating with the Presidency in rel

  • Un mercado de trabajo en cambio que puede definir el futuro de Europa

    En el siguiente texto - basado en la contribución de Eurofound a la reunión informal de Ministros de empleo, política social, salud y consumo (EPSCO), de julio de 2016 - el director de Eurofound Juan Menéndez-Valdés echa un vistazo a cómo el mercado europeo se ha transformado en los últimos años y evalúa algunos retos del futuro.
    Gran parte de las discusiones sobre el futuro del trabajo

Show more