Early thin month, Eurofound published its 2019 yearbook “Living and working in Europe”, which provides a snapshot of the latest developments in the work and lives of Europeans as explored in the Agency’s research activities throughout 2019. The report covers a big variety of themes, for instance, from the growing diversity of employment across EU regions to rising trust in national institutions to developments in minimum wages.
On the one hand, the report acknowledged record low unemployment (until the Corona outbreak), but on the other hand, showcases the rising concern about inequality in regards to the quality of employment. For example, the share of involuntarily part-time or temporary workers is substantial in the analysis of labour market segmentation, because it clearly shows that standard employment is beyond the reach of some workers. Thus, the report states that “in 2018, just over half of temporary employees (52.8%) and just over a quarter of part-time employees (27.2%) were in that status involuntarily.”
Eurodiaconia continues to raise awareness regarding the significant gaps in the labour market outcomes of EU and third-country nationals. Third-country nationals, and particularly migrant and refugee women tend to have much higher unemployment rates than the native-born population and the highly skilled are often overqualified for their jobs. European and national efforts for the inclusive and sustainable labour market integration of migrants and refugees, therefore, needs to be strengthened.
Please check out Eurodiaconia’s policy paper on Promoting Access to Employment for Migrants and Refugees and find online Eurofound’s 2019 yearbook.