Documents employment policy 2 234 results

"The aim of flexicurity is to improve employment opportunities for workers, while at the same time increasing flexibility, enabling organisations to adapt their operations and employment levels to business needs. The past few years have, however, been particularly challenging for European labour markets: the recent financial crisis and recession have had an inevitable negative impact on EU labour markets and unemployment levels. This has called into question the effectiveness of the flexicurity strategy in terms of supporting vulnerable workers. Eurofound research in six EU Member States analysed company initiatives targeting young workers, older workers and women."

The first is the results of the Lisbon Summit held in March and, in particular, its impact on the European employment strategy. Secondly, the report could hardly omit to offer a detailed analysis of the Social Agenda adopted at the Nice European Summit in December and which defines – for the period until at least 2003, when it may be revised – the European Union's social policy priorities. The third development relates to social security concerns, with special reference to the fight against social exclusion and poverty on the one hand and the future of retirement pensions on the other. The last area of focus is the enlargement of the EU to the countries of central and eastern Europe, a development which is giving rise to an increasing number of questions, particularly as regards its social implications. The analysis and evaluation of these four important areas of concern offers insight into the rationales and dynamics currently at work in the European institutions in the social policy field.