Eurofound

Restructuring: Announced losses, gains and impacts on those who remain

14 November 2018 09:00

This graph, taken from the latest European Restructuring Monitor (ERM) report, shows the announced job losses and gains since 2008.

Platform work – Breaking barriers or breaking bad?

5 November 2018 14:00

Platform work is neither good nor bad – it just is. We need to adapt to this reality by finding ways to capitalise on the positive while at the same time counteracting the negative. This needs to be done in a differentiated way, taking account of the great variety in platform work. One-size solutions simply will not fit all.

Pay is just one aspect of disadvantage for women on the labour market

2 November 2018 12:30

The equal treatment of women and men has been a fundamental principle of the European Union since its inception, but women in Europe still earn on average 16.2% less than men. Tomorrow, Saturday 3 November, marks the moment in the year when women symbolically stop getting paid compared to their male colleagues.

Publication alert: Impact of restructuring on working conditions

25 October 2018 13:28

Restructuring is a common feature of labour markets and work organisation. While much research in this area primarily concentrates on the implications for those that lose their jobs, the latest report on restructuring from Eurofound focuses on the impacts for those that remain in an organisation.

Publication alert: Annual review of working life

23 October 2018 15:56

2017 was a good year for the majority of EU Member States in terms of recovery of employment. However, while the EU28 as a whole is now exceeding its pre-crisis employment rate, in 2017 it was still 2.8 percentage points short of its 2020 target of an overall employment rate of 75%. In addition, several Member States' employment rates continue to lag behind those witnessed a decade ago.

Progress in paternity and parental leave for fathers – Are baby steps enough?

15 October 2018 09:00

Few events challenge the equilibrium between work and life like the arrival of a child. As gender roles continue to change in Europe, supporting the uptake of paternity and parental leave among fathers is fundamental, not just to close the ‘caring gap’ between men and women, but also to provide the best possible outlook for coming generations.

World Mental Health Day: Common approach to burnout still lacking

10 October 2018 07:00

Today is World Mental Health Day, a yearly event held by the World Health Organization with the overall objective of raising awareness of mental health issues and mobilising efforts in support of mental health. Eurofound has made a limited number of copies of its latest report on Burnout in the workplace available to order, free of charge, via its website

Feelings of insecurity widespread in Europe

9 October 2018 11:00

Feelings of insecurity in several dimensions of life are widespread in the EU, even among those who are materially well-off. Only 1% of the EU population enjoys the highest level of security in the combined areas of personal security and security in housing, healthcare, employment and old-age income.

Big differences in female share of employment and management in Europe

4 October 2018 09:00

On average, women make up 36% of all managers in Europe. Some of the newer Member States lead the way in terms of the equal representation of men and women both in labour markets and in management. This graph shows the female share of management in each of the Member States.

Equality still far from reach for women in management

2 October 2018 15:16

Management is still mostly a man's game. The limited presence of women in management roles in European workplaces, despite years of gender equality policy, illustrates the magnitude of the challenge in achieving gender equality at work and highlights the need for more concerted effort and comprehensive long-term strategies to drive change.

Better living and working conditions in a language we can all understand

26 September 2018 08:45

Today is European Day of Languages, a yearly event that celebrates the linguistic diversity of a continent with over 200 European languages, 24 official EU languages, around 60 regional or minority languages, and many more spoken by people from other parts of the world.

Getting to grips with the growth of platform work

25 September 2018 09:00

Platform work is still small in scale in Europe, but it is rapidly growing and becoming increasingly important for the digital economy. Much needs to be done, not just to track and adapt to its development, but also to ensure that we have a common definition of what platform work is and how it impacts the broader world of work.

Europe’s frayed ends: Understanding the challenges of 21st century burnout

10 September 2018 14:55

The effects of burnout on workers can be severe; without detection and proper treatment burnout symptoms can last several years – impacting not just the health of individual workers, but also business success and broader economic performance. However, a lack of clear definition and understanding of burnout has resulted in a disparate and fragmented policy response at national level.

New tasks in old jobs: Manufacturing in Europe increasingly driven by automation

6 September 2018 10:18

The importance of physical tasks in manufacturing is generally declining due to automation; with more intensive use of digitally controlled equipment, and the increasing importance of quality standards, resulting in a growing amount of intellectual tasks for manual industrial workers.

Upcoming policy brief: Women in management

21 August 2018 15:41

Eurofound's forthcoming policy brief focuses on women who have overcome the barriers and advanced into management. It aims to assess whether women, once they have reached a managerial role, continue to encounter obstacles that their male counterparts do not face.