Sustainable work throughout the life course: National policies and strategies

European countries face the challenges of ageing populations supported by shrinking workforces, more precarious types of employment, and in many cases, a decreasing number of jobs in the wake of the economic crisis. As a result, the issue of how to enable more people to participate in the labour market and to continue to do so until an older age has become a key policy issue in all EU Member States. These challenges might be met by adopting an approach to work that puts sustainability at its centre. Sustainable work means that ‘living and working conditions are such that they support people in engaging and remaining in work throughout an extended working life’. This study analyses national policies that help to achieve sustainable work in 10 EU Member States. It looks at how these policies are being implemented, whether they are integrated into a coherent framework, and whether they are complementary or contradictory.