News

In this episode of the Eurofound Talks podcast Mary McCaughey speaks with Eurofound Deputy Director Maria Jepsen, and Barry Colfer, Director of Research at the Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA), about European social change over the past 50 years, Eurofound’s role in these changes, how Ireland itself has developed and changed, and the challenges currently on the horizon.

The 22 EU Member States with a national minimum wage have announced their decisions on increases for 2025, except for Spain. Developments bring good news for workers on the minimum wage, who will see their wages increase substantially, beyond current inflation in most countries.

Respondents that participated in Eurofound’s 2024 e-survey were less optimistic about their future than those that took part in 2023, with the degree of optimism across all age groups falling considerably since 2020. The sharpest drop in optimism occurred among respondents in the 35–49 and 50–64 age groups, who reported the lowest levels of optimism in 2024.

This year, Eurofound and European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop) both mark their fiftieth anniversary. The longevity of the agencies, and the impact of their work, is a testament to the importance of evidence-based research for adapting to labour market change and driving economic development.

That specialism and evidence-based approach is needed now more than ever to deal with current rapid changes to the labour market and the world of work. New technologies are having a profound impact across various aspects of our working lives. They have the potential to drive efficiency, reduce risks, and improve job quality. Europe must harness them to improve working life, as well as maintain its competitive edge.

Artificial intelligence is at the forefront of this change. Alongside its tremendous potential for profit and progress, it has presented challenges, including concerns of job destruction for medium and low-skilled workers. AI transforms tasks and skills needs across the board and more must be done to close the gap between the new knowledge and skills needs associated with AI and the low share of workers training for it. There are also significant business implications, and SMEs may lose out to larger businesses that can invest more in AI development and deployment.

In this special #Eurofound50 webinar, Mary McCaughey, Head of Information and Communication at Eurofound, speaks with Dragoș Adăscăliței, Eurofound Research Officer, and Jasper Van Loo, Cedefop Department Coordinator, about how AI is already changing working life in Europe, and what needs to be done to harness its tremendous potential while also protecting those that risk being left behind.

Registrations are now open.

Despite expectations that remote work or hybrid work would become a long-term norm following the pandemic, findings from Eurofound’s 2024 e-survey indicate a decline in remote work since 2023.

30% of respondents to Eurofound’s 2024 Living and working in the EU survey reported difficulties making ends meet, ranging from 17% in Luxembourg to 55% in Greece. 10% of respondents missed rent or mortgage payments, and 15% reported arrears in utility bills – both figures reflecting increases from the previous year.