Working Life | Population Europe

12/02/16

EU Employment and Social Situation Quarterly Review Winter Edition

EU Employment and Social Situation Quarterly Review Winter Edition As in previous editions all graphs and related data are downloadable in excel format by clicking on the links provided. A link to a country-specific statistical annex is also provided at the end of the report. Here are some highlights:

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26/01/2016

Siesta Break vs. Family Time

Does the Spanish Work Schedule Hurt Family Life?

Many Spanish parents work with a split-shift schedule, which consists of a long lunch break, sometimes two hours, that extends working activities until late in the evening. Empirical evidence by researchers Pablo Gracia (European University Institute) and Matthijs Kalmijn (University of Amsterdam) suggests that this schedule has negative consequences on parents’ time in family and child-related activities. Work Schedules and Family Time: The Case of Spain

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22/01/16

2015 Employment and Social Developments in Europe (ESDE) Review

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The 2015 edition of the ESDE review looks at the following topics: self-employment and entrepreneurship, labour legislation, long-term unemployment, mobility and migration, social dialogue, skills, and social protection systems with a particular focus on the labour market participation of older workers and women.

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05/01/2016

How to Make Pensions Sustainable and Socially Meaningful

OECD’s Pensions at a Glance 2015

Pension reform is one of the most difficult and politically charged areas of social policy. This is true not only in the United States, where social security has been called the "third rail of American politics" – touch it and you die –, but also in many European countries. Changing the rules of retirement, such as pension ages and benefit levels, is unpopular and a tough sell for governments; raising pensions and allowing people to stop working earlier, by contrast, is a good way to make friends and builds support among an ageing electorate.

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31/12/2015

The Influence of Labour Market Laws on Migration Choices in Europe

Immigration within the borders of the European Union is driven by social and economic forces that are strongly linked to the legal framework of each state. As John Palmer and Mariola Pytliková found in their recent study, labour market laws influence migrants’ destination choices. In fact, the labour market restrictions imposed by some EU member states after the two enlargement rounds (2004 and 2007) have influenced both the magnitude and composition of intra-European migrant flows.

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21/12/2015

A Fresh Start to Work-Life Balance

by Agnes Uhereczky Let’s begin with a challenge. Find for me a working parent or carer who has not experienced some form of negative treatment from their boss or co-workers because of their caring responsibilities. This can range from sarcastic comments to outright demotion. I expect there are few.

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08/12/2015

From Age-Flex to Flex-Work

How increasing life expectancy could contribute to gender equality in leadership positions

by James W. Vaupel Everyone talks about our new life courses in view of increasing life expectancy – but what about reconciliation of family and career? In numerous sectors of the economy and other branches of society, many of the leading positions are predominantly occupied by men. This has led to, for example, debates about obligatory quota regulations within the governing boards of listed companies to allow females to break through the so-called “glass ceiling” of gender-specific career paths.

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01/12/2015

Discussion Paper No. 3: EU Civil Society and Demographic Change (2015)

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This paper focuses on the views and concepts of European civil society actors on the issue of demographic change and related fields. Chapter 1 clarifies the scope of this paper in terms of how EU civil society is understood, what aspects of demographic change and population policy are considered and which period of time is covered. Chapter 2 provides examples of institutionalised forms of exchange between the EU and civil society organisations at the European Commission level in areas relevant to the issue of demographic change.

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01/12/2015

Discussion Paper No. 2: Demographic Change on the Political Agenda of the European Commission (2015)

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This paper offers insights into how demographic change is discussed as a political challenge at the European Union (EU) level, specifically the European Commission. Chapter 1 provides basic conceptual specifications and definitions on how population policies and demographic change are understood in this paper. Chapter 2 describes the institutional set-up and framework of population policies at the EU level. Chapter 3 gives a short overview of how demographic issues are institutionally framed as areas of political action within the European Commission.