Overview of industrial relations in the EU and other global economies 2008–2009

This year’s annual review of industrial relations developments in the European Union, Japan and the US, as well as in the emerging economies of Brazil and China, is set against the background of the global financial and economic crisis that developed in the summer of 2008. As recession has hit countries worldwide, weakening labour markets and causing unemployment to rise, governments have issued stimulus packages to combat the crisis. This report explores the impact of the crisis on developments in industrial relations in the EU, Brazil, China, Japan and the US over the period 2008–2009. It charts the similarities and trends, as well as the differences in structure and developments between these five major economies, followed by an outline of priority issues for the social partners and a range of measures that could improve the global economic outlook.