Documents Eichhorst, Werner 84 results

"This is a joint report on scoping studies carried out by Werner Eichhorst (first part) and Isabelle Berrebi-Hoffmann (second part) on different aspects of the future of work in Europe. The study has been prepared in the context of the forthcoming Social Transformations and Resilience Partnership under Horizon Europe. Expected to be launched in 2027, this Partnership aims to create a transformative research and innovation programme in the social sciences and humanities to strengthen resilience, fairness, inclusiveness, and social cohesion in response to major societal challenges. One of the Partnership's key impact areas is shaping the future of work."

"The paper compares employment structures in five Continental welfare states. These countries feature broad similarities in their reliance on a more dualised model of labour market flexibility, particularly in service occupations with low skill requirements. However, a closer look also reveals considerable differences between national patterns of standard and non-standard work. In Germany (and to a lesser extent Austria), marginal part-time provides a fertile ground for low-paid service jobs, as non-wage labour costs are minimised. In France, fixed-term contracts are a flexible and also cheaper alternative to permanent contracts, especially for younger workers. Dutch service sector employers follow an eclectic approach, as can be seen from high shares of self-employed and part-timers, as well as temporary workers. Finally, Belgium has large proportions of very low-skilled, own-account self-employed and involuntary fixed-term contracts. On the basis of these results, we identify four transformative pathways towards a more inclusive or flexible labour market: growing wage dispersion, defection from both permanent full-time employment as well as from dependent employment, and government-sponsored labour cost reductions. "

"This report discusses the question of a long-term institutional convergence of national unemployment benefit schemes in Europe using the examples of Germany and France. The comparison shows many similarities between the two countries. Traditionally, the areas of funding, the organisation of benefits and governance structures have been the most similar, as well as the scope of benefits. Since the 2000s, both benefit schemes have diverged in slightly different directions due to the Hartz reforms in Germany. However, recent reforms in France have brought its system closer to German developments, e.g. the stronger use of activation measures and sanctions. In both countries, these developments were driven by problematic labour market situations. The findings show that, overall, the benefit schemes of both France and Germany show a significant degree of compatibility, despite important differences in questions of detail. One difference which remains is the stronger role of the social partners in France. The study also refers to challenges in social policy which are leading to similar reform needs in both countries, e.g. in the areas of short-term employment, precarious self-employment and a stronger, more forward-looking labour market policy through investments in human capital. In this respect, both countries can learn and benefit from each other's experiences. "

"Labour market segmentation is at the forefront of national and European policy debates. While the European Commission and the OECD claim to promote what they see as more inclusive policies, academic observers remain sceptical. The dualization literature in particular points to stable equilibria that sustain divisions between labour market insiders and outsiders. In this article, we trace recent reform trajectories in a diverse group of nine European countries marked by a high share of temporary employment: France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. Our case studies show that recent reforms of employment regulation involve much more dynamism than one would expect based on the experiences of the two preceding decades, or from dualization or insider–outsider theories. The reform trajectories display rather contradictory approaches, sometimes in close succession."

"Work and employment around the globe change continuously, but there are potentially more rapid and fundamental transformations ahead as new technologies can have major impact on what jobs will exist in the future, how people will work and how the global division of labor will evolve. This contribution tries to assess the current outlook into the foreseeable future and highlights the importance of labor market institutions that can effectively influence the future of work. The paper in particular addresses the need to reform and update labor market regulation, social protection and active labor market policies as well as the education systems."

"This paper assesses the importance of digitalization in Germany and other developed countries with a particular attention to the potential or actual impact it may have on the labor market. Referring to available empirical evidence, we document the already developing transformation of occupations and forms of employment and the role of the platform economy, including the phenomenon of solo self-employment. We then derive current and future challenges for social protection and suggest some ideas to update social insurance in the face of these new challenges.#2

"Atypische Beschäftigung ist in vielen europäischen Ländern während der letzten Jahre gewachsen, allerdings zeigen sich gleichzeitig erhebliche Unterschiede im Anteil der atypischen Beschäftigung zwischen den Ländern ebenso wie bei der Verbreitung einzelner Formen atypischer Arbeitsverträge. Dieser Beitrag stellt auf der Grundlage aktueller Forschungsergebnisse die Rolle atypischer Beschäftigung dar und versucht, die unterschiedlichen Profile der atypischen Beschäftigung in einzelnen EU-Mitgliedstaaten zu erklären. Dazu werden einerseits institutionelle Faktoren wie die jeweilige Regulierung der atypischen Beschäftigungsformen oder die tarifvertragliche Durchdringung sowie deren Veränderung in den Blick genommen und andererseits Faktoren der Nachfrage nach und des Angebots an den jeweils benötigten beruflichen Qualifikationen betrachtet, welche die Verhandlungsposition einzelner Gruppen auf dem Arbeitsmarkt beeinflussen. Zudem werden subjektive Indikatoren der Arbeitsbedingungen für verschiedene Beschäftigungsformen vergleichend dargestellt."

"The Great Recession that has engulfed Europe since 2008 has had a profound impact on the process of young people's school-to-work (STW) transition. Countries' institutional configurations considerably matter in shaping the structure of young people's STW transitions and mediating the impact of the Great Recession on youth unemployment. Drawing upon Pohl and Walther's concept of 'youth transition regime' (2007), we have assessed the performance of selected EU countries belonging to different clusters regarding the speed, ease and quality of STW transitions. Differences in performance across regimes exists, with some faring better than others, although at the same time a common, worrying trend can be identified across clusters, comprising a progressive deterioration of the quality of youth transitions across the board, despite the positive policy intentions to strengthen and improve the efficacy of transition regimes."

"Current levels of youth unemployment need to be understood in the context of increased labor market flexibility, an expansion of higher education, youth migration, and family legacies of long-term unemployment. Compared with previous recessions, European-wide policies and investments have significantly increased with attempts to support national policies. By mapping these developments and debates, we illustrate the different factors shaping the future of European labor markets. We argue that understanding youth unemployment requires a holistic approach that combines an analysis of changes in the economic sphere around labor market flexibility, skills attainment, and employer demand, as well as understanding the impact of family legacies affecting increasingly polarized trajectories for young people today. The success of EU policy initiatives and investments will be shaped by the ability of national actors to implement these effectively."