Categories: living conditions and quality of life

3 August 2022 15:26

Energy poverty looms as cost of living increases: data behind the difficulties

Rising energy prices are putting more people under increased financial pressure and at a greater risk of energy poverty, according to Eurofound report 'Living, working and COVID-19 e-survey: Living in a new era of uncertainty'

2 June 2022 18:30

Eurofound and IIEA discuss labour market change and future of work

The Directors and senior staff of Eurofound and the Institute of European Affairs (IIEA) met at Eurofound, Dublin this week, following the recent appointment of David O’Sullivan as the Director General of IIEA. It was an opportunity to review ongoing collaboration between the two organisations, as well as discuss latest research; including on the economic, employment and social impacts of the COVI

16 February 2022 07:00

Lithuania looks to re-establish pre-pandemic progress

In the decade prior to the COVID-19 pandemic Lithuania had a steady increase in unweighted average disposable income, recording the largest increases alongside Romania. It also recorded the lowest gender employment gap in the EU in 2019. Like other Member States, however, the pandemic has set Lithuania back in a number of labour market and social indicators, and in particular it saw a rise in unem

31 January 2022 09:00

One third of people aged 80+ did not leave home during COVID-19 outbreak

In summer 2020, 34% of people in the EU aged 80+ had not left home since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and 88% of people in this age group reported visiting family members less often. Although people of all ages became more at risk of mental health issues and loneliness during the pandemic, the impact was particularly severe on both young people and people aged 80+.

6 January 2022 13:00

Eurofound welcomes European Year of Youth 2022

Eurofound welcomes European Year of Youth 2022 #EYY2022. The situation of young people in the EU has long been an important focus for Eurofound’s work. Eurofound remains committed to continuing its work to provide policymakers with the most timely, relevant and reliable data and research to address the challenges facing young people.

20 December 2021 10:30

Changes in the world of work to the fore of discussions between Eurofound and Irish social partners, ICTU and IBEC

Eurofound’s management met with Irish social partners, Patricia King, General Secretary, ICTU and Danny McCoy, Chief Executive Officer, Ibec, at Eurofound in Dublin, on Wednesday, 15 December 2021, to discuss some of the Agency’s most recent research findings on changes in workplace practices, work organisation, hybrid working, gender, labour market dynamics and the role of collective bargaining.

6 December 2021 10:00

Finland has highest teleworking rate in the EU before and during the pandemic

Almost one in four workers (22.4%) in Finland usually worked from home during 2020, according to new analyses published in Eurofound’s recent research report What just happened? COVID-19 lockdowns and change in the labour market. This is the highest proportion across the EU, where the average is 10.8%. All Member States reported an increase of teleworking during 2020, but the largest increases (in

30 November 2021 11:00

Romania keeps youth unemployment below EU average

In 2020, the youth unemployment ratio in Romania was 5.5%, while the EU27 average stood at 7.1%. This ratio, which notes number of unemployed young people as a proportion of the total population of that age group, increased in almost all EU Member States between 2019 and 2020. In Romania, specifically, the figure rose from 4.8%, while the EU average increased from 6.5%.
This data was recently

18 November 2021 07:00

High levels of optimism about future among young people in Latvia

Despite the disproportionate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on young people in the EU, Latvia has managed to retain a comparatively high level of optimism among its younger population, with 70% of people aged 18-29 in the country optimistic about their future. This is the second highest optimism score in the EU during spring 2021, only behind Malta, while the EU27’s average is 49% of young peopl

11 November 2021 07:00

Poland records longest annual working hours in the EU in 2020

Employees in Poland are working 1,848 hours per year, the highest annual working hours figure (alongside Hungary) across the EU. The shortest hours are found in Germany (1,574 hours), France (1,610 hours) and Denmark (1,635 hours). These figures are part of Eurofound’s Working time in 2019–2020 report, which documents the most relevant changes in working time regulation after the onset of the COVI

9 November 2021 11:00

COVID-19 brought Europe’s youth recovery to abrupt end

COVID-19 ended a six-year decline in youth unemployment, with young people more likely to find themselves unemployed and to report poor mental health than the rest of the population. Young people were hit particularly hard both economically and socially with the pandemic striking Europe as youth unemployment was returning to pre-economic crisis levels for the first time. Economic and well-being ou

28 October 2021 07:00

Decrease of working hours and trust in national government marking COVID-19 impact in Czechia

In quarter four of 2020, weekly working hours in Czechia decreased by 2.8 hours, marking the largest decrease in the EU in a year-on-year comparison with the same period of 2019 and followed by Austria (-1.8 hours per week). The EU’s average for the end-of-year quarter lies at -0.5 hours. This data was recently published in a joint Eurofound and European Commission report (What just happened? COVI

26 October 2021 16:30

Österreich verzeichnet die höchste Arbeitszeitverkürzung und einen starken Vertrauensverlust in die nationale Regierung während COVID-19

Die wöchentliche Arbeitszeit in Österreich hat sich zu Beginn der COVID-19 Pandemie (2. Quartal 2020) im Vergleich zum Vorjahreszeitraum um 2,6 Stunden verringert. Dies war der größte Rückgang in der EU und liegt über dem EU-Durchschnitt von -0,9 Stunden, wie aus einem gemeinsamen Bericht von Eurofound und der Europäischen Kommission hervorgeht (Was ist gerade passiert? COVID-19-Sperren und Veränd

26 October 2021 15:57

Austria notes highest decrease of working hours and sharp decrease in trust in national government during COVID-19

Weekly working hours in Austria decreased by 2.6 hours at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic (quarter 2 2020) as compared to the same time of the previous year. This was the largest decrease in the EU and far beyond the EU average of -0.9 hours, as reported by a joint Eurofound and European Commission report (What just happened? COVID-19 lockdowns and change in the labour market), which describes

11 October 2021 14:00

Pessimism gap in Spain among the largest of EU

While 57% of respondents in Spain are pessimistic about the future of their country, only 7% expect their personal life to get worse in the next 12 months. This pessimism gap, which relates to the contrast between societal and personal perceptions of the future, of 50 percentage points in Spain is among the largest of the EU27. The European average equals 34 percentage points, however, the variati

8 October 2021 11:00

Young people, women face long-term mental health effects due to COVID-19

Mental well-being indicators for young people and women have decreased disproportionately across the EU between summer 2020 and spring 2021, against a background of overall decline in mental health well-being across the EU. The long term effects of this for society and the economy are of serious concern. This is according to Eurofound’s large-scale Living, working and COVID-19 online survey.
T

1 October 2021 09:00

Ireland and Denmark most optimistic countries in EU

Ireland and Denmark are the most socially optimistic countries in the EU, according to Eurofound's Social Optimism Index, a newly developed composite indicator which measures six variables of optimism among people in Europe.

1 October 2021 07:00

Germany sees sharp decline in trust in national government, EU during COVID-19

Trust in Germany’s national government decreased from 5.7 to 4.3 between summer 2020 and spring 2021, according to Eurofound’s large-scale Living, working and COVID-19 online survey. This is the third largest decline compared to other EU countries, behind Austria and Cyprus.

1 October 2021 07:00

Vertrauen in die deutsche Regierung und in die EU während COVID-19 stark gesunken

Das Vertrauen in die nationale Regierung Deutschlands ist zwischen Sommer 2020 und Frühjahr 2021 von 5,7 auf 4,3 gesunken. Das ist der drittgrößte Rückgang im EU-Vergleich, nach Österreich und Zypern.

21 September 2021 07:00

High level of social optimism in Malta

Malta has the third highest degree of social optimism across the EU. According to the Social Optimism Index, developed by Eurofound, the country scores 0.424, just behind Ireland and Denmark (0.687 and 0.582 respectively), whereas Greece and France (-0.650 and -0.262) can be found on the opposite side of the Index.
Social optimism refers to a general expectation that social issues will turn out

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