Documents labour market 5 000 results

"This paper provides an account of the future evolution of two labour market indicators – the employment rate and the unemployment rate – based on forecast growth of GDP and the working-age population, as well as trends related to sectoral productivity growth and participation rates. Given the resulting scenarios, the EU and its Member States generally face increasing employment rates and decreasing unemployment rates, thus continuing the general trend observable in recent years. The results also show, however, that the demographic pressures manifested in a decline in the working age population in many countries may imply unsustainable development leading to severe labour shortages in some countries, as indicated by very low unemployment rates at already high participation rates among their working age populations. As a result of severe macroeconomic labour shortages, some countries could face either lower growth, a strong need for higher productivity growth, or more inward migration. As already mentioned, in these countries, industries with higher than expected labour demand growth (mostly service industries) will suffer relatively more from the shortages. Thus, the results reported here suggest that, given looming demographic pressures, most EU economies may face severe challenges in both the medium and longer terms with regard to growth and welfare."

"In international comparison, dual systems of vocational education and training are often considered to be more successful than school-based systems for managing sustainable transitions from school to work. This assessment is particularly valid for Switzerland, while the German dual system has increasingly come under criticism since the Covid-19 pandemic, especially with regard to the declining attractiveness of its vocational tracks. The comparative focus is rarely put on Denmark with its promising mix of both principles. A comparison of the two countries therefore seems appealing. The study starts by developing the theoretical framework of transitional labour markets: normatively, it stresses professional sovereignty against labour market fitness, while analytically, it emphasises fair risk and balanced power sharing as principles of good governance. It then considers the actors, regulations, transition paths, current developments and problems of the two countries, enriched with descriptive statistics. Germany can learn from Denmark, especially regarding early career orientation in school, income security that encourages risk-taking during the complex transition process, the continuous updating and modularisation of curricula, and adaptive cooperation between schools, companies, social partners and municipalities. The weaknesses of the Danish system, however, provide also lessons, especially the erosion of the attractiveness of vocational education and training. Reform options for Germany conclude the study."

"The COVID-19 pandemic has completely disrupted the European labour markets. Demand has collapsed in certain sectors, teleworking has become the norm in others, and the use of digital technologies in services and businesses has experienced a significant acceleration. While the use of short-time work schemes contributed – especially in the initial months of the crisis – to preserving employment and avoiding massive layoffs, unemployment and the inactivity rates are increasing and this course is expected to continue. Such a constellation poses significant challenges to European labour markets. Multiple questions arise around job creation and destruction, up- and re-skilling of the labour force, spatial or sectoral relocation of dismissed workers and the quality of the newly created jobs..."

"The enlargements of the Single Market in 2004 and 2007, have fundamentally altered shipbuilding employers' production and staffing possibilities. After the fall of the Iron Curtain, Norwegian shipbuilders began to offshore hull production and outfitting to countries in central and eastern Europe (the CEE countries) and eventually acquired several Romanian yards. From 2004, Norwegian yards also hired large amounts of CEE workers through temporary agencies and subcontractors. Transforming the mode of production and staffing in the yards, this two-way mobility has been driven by opportunities to increase production, overcome labour shortages, reduce labour and production costs, and adjust more flexibly to fluctuations in markets and production. This enabled the shipbuilding industry to handle a boom in production of offshore supply ships and the ensuing bust after the oil price dived in 2014.
The shipyard industry is part of the Norwegian core industrial relations system, with strong trade unions and employers' associations. As wages and labour costs are among the highest in Europe, the yards' competitiveness depends on high quality and productivity.
The dual mobility and outsourcing of work has led to a dualisation of the workforce, and declining employment among local blue-collar workers. Due to numerous examples of inferior wages and conditions among the subcontracted CEE-workforce, the unions in 2008 won through with demands for extension of minimum terms in the collective agreement, fueling tension and legal strife between the social partners. Eventually further re-regulation and enforcement measures were enacted, strengthening the rights and remuneration of migrant workers.
Our overall findings suggest that the two-way mobility of production factors can generate gains both for western and eastern yards and workers. However, the dual mobility has contributed to erosion of the industry's national skill base and establishment of a flexible segment of migrant workers who are not incorporated in the model of organised labour relations, lacking institutional representation and voice.
Looking ahead, the ongoing turn towards the production of more technology-intensive ‘green' vessels will require upgrading of qualifications, calling for more investment in vocational training, skill formation and long-term recruitment."

"Depuis quelques mois, le thème de "la grande démission" a fait son apparition dans le débat public. Certains salariés se contenteraient d'assurer les obligations minimales liées à leur poste, tandis que d'autres n'hésiteraient plus à le quitter. Ainsi assisterait-on à l'émergence d'un nouveau rapport au travail, plus distancié, qui s'expliquerait, en partie, par les effets du confinement. S'il semble prématuré d'isoler l'impact spécifique de la pandémie de Covid-19 sur le rapport au travail, l'analyse des enquêtes menées sur les valeurs depuis les années 1980 dans les pays occidentaux montre plutôt la grande stabilité des attentes à l'égard du travail. Elle révèle en revanche d'importantes disparités nationales : certains pays valorisent le travail comme vocation ou norme quand d'autres privilégient une conception plus utilitariste. Les conditions de travail ou les caractéristiques individuelles (âge, genre, niveau de qualification) ne jouent qu'à la marge sur ces valeurs au regard de l'"effet pays"."

"This report provides an overview of labour market monopsony by delving into two of its sources which deliver unilateral firm wage setting power; namely, concentrated labour markets and the use of anticompetitive contractual instruments such as non-compete clauses. These sources limit workers' outside options and thereby increase the bargaining power of employers over workers, resulting in reduced wages and worse working conditions for the workers affected, and higher wage inequality. First, in labour markets with fewer employers and fewer outside options for workers, there is greater scope for labour market monopsony power. Indeed, based on a meta-analysis of studies on labour market concentration, a 10 per cent more concentrated labour market, meaning relatively fewer employers, is associated with a 0.2 per cent lower wage for the workers in those labour markets. Second, workers can also be affected by non-compete clauses (and other anticompetitive instruments). These are increasingly used with the seeming aim of restricting workers' outside options, resulting in lower job mobility and worse labour market outcomes. The report highlights possible ways forward, in particular by strengthening workers' bargaining power, but also by addressing labour market concentration directly, for instance through merger control and by regulating the use of non-compete clauses."