“Worrying trends in the quality of working conditions” have been observed since 2005 in Member States that were previously considered to be performing well, such as France, Spain and Greece, according to a new study by the European Trade Union Institute(ETUI) on Friday 23 June.
These three countries are even experiencing a “steady decline”. The research institution of the European Trade Union Confederation, which places these three countries at the bottom of the European league table on the basis of the latest data obtained for the year 2021, notes in particular that “the effects of the 2008 financial and economic crisis, the Covid-19 pandemic and health measures – which have accelerated the technological and digital transition – as well as the energy and cost of living crises, have each had an ongoing and significant impact on the quality of jobs”.
The study is based on the European index of job quality developed by ETUI, which is based on six aspects: - quality of income; - forms of employment and job security; - working time and work-life balance; - working conditions; - skills and career development; - representing collective interests.
The study also suggests that “low earnings tend also to be less predictable, creating a vicious circle of more precarious livelihoods in several low income Member States”.
“In a longer time perspective, as shown in Figure 14, three countries – the Netherlands, Estonia and Germany – emerge as relatively consistent champions of the quality of working conditions while Cyprus confirms its relatively poor performance”, said ETUI in a press release.
Italy, Denmark and Austria, meanwhile, have seen the biggest improvements over time.
Link to the study: https://aeur.eu/f/7of (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)