Micro and small companies constitute the backbone of private business in Europe, accounting for nearly 99% of all enterprises, more than half of total employment in the private sector and an even greater proportion of new jobs. Despite their crucial place in the economy, there has been little
Quality of work and employment is a priority in the European Union. The annual review of working conditions in the EU 2009-2010 focuses on four critical dimensions: career development and employment security, health and wellbeing, skills and competence development, and work–life balance. It outlines
Quality of work and employment is a major policy issue in the European Union. This sixth annual review of working conditions in the EU outlines relevant legislative and policy developments during the period 2008–2009 in the context of labour market mobility and demographic change. It also explores a
On 11–12 October 2007, the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working conditions (Eurofound), in cooperation with the Portuguese EU Presidency, held a conference on musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in Portugal’s capital city of Lisbon. In his concluding remarks at the conference
The EU Member States take a variety of approaches to continuing vocational training (CVT), and the social partners are involved in CVT governance and implementation to varying degrees. The European ‘Copenhagen Process’ aims to increase participation in adult education by enhancing cooperation in
Quality of work and employment is a key priority in the European Union. This fifth annual review of working conditions in the EU examines a range of issues and challenges related to working life and the workplace. It focuses in particular on four critical dimensions: career development and
The preliminary results of the second Quality of Work in Italy Survey, carried out in 2006 by the National Training Agency, show that working conditions have tended to decline since the 2002 survey, although overall job satisfaction is still high. Italian workers seem to be less satisfied with their
This fourth annual review from the European Working Conditions Observatory puts the spotlight on four key dimensions of working conditions and quality of work and employment: career and employment, health and well-being at work, skills development and work–life balance. The report outlines relevant
The third Quality of work survey report, published by Italy’s National Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training Employment and Social Policies (Isfol), provides both synthetic indicators and an accurate overview of the quality of work in Italy. It shows that while the work climate is
A report prepared by the Associazione Bruno Trentin [1], a research institute linked with Italy’s main trade union Cgil [2], has exmained the effect of the economic crisis on migrant workers in Italy. The impact of the crisis on migrants’ living and working conditions [3] is based on analysis of
The Ministry of Labour has compiled information for an annual report on inspection activities each year since 2008. The findings are summarised in the Annual report on social cohesion (in Italian) [1] in cooperation with the National Institute for Statistics (Istat [2]). The first social cohesion
On December 2013 Istat [1], Italy’s national bureau of statistics, and the Department for Equal Opportunities presented a report on gender stereotypes and discrimination. The report, Gender stereotypes, disclaimers and discrimination [2], was based on a survey [3] of discrimination based on gender
A new report published by Italy’s National Institute for Statistics (Istat [1]) in cooperation with Italy’s tripartite National Economics and Labour Council (Cnel [2]) looks at the health and well-being of workers in Italy. The 2013 Equitable and sustainable well-being report (BES) [3] attempts to
Government reforms introduced in Italy in 2009 brought in several compulsory measures aimed at increasing transparency and improving performance in the country’s public administration sector. As part of the reforms, well-being at work was among the issues to be monitored through annual surveys of
Since its first edition in 2005, the PLUS (Participation, Labour and Unemployment Survey) (in Italian) [1], carried out by the Institute of Training and Labour Studies (Isfol [2]), has been among the richest sources of information relating to gender differences in the labour market in Italy. It is
A report, Development and protection of well-being and organisational health in healthcare (in Italian, 3.88Mb PDF) [1], is being promoted by the Italian Federation of Hospital and Local Health Agencies (FIASO [2]) with the aim of establishing a shared protocol for assessing the risks of work
The number of women in paid employment in Italy remains low, particularly in the more traditional southern regions of the country. The other main factor is a welfare regime which relies largely on the family – and especially women – to act as the main care provider. This has been discussed by a
The wage gap between the public and private sector is a recurrent issue in debates about the Italian economy and labour market. This gap is often said to be caused by the more ‘generous’ pay increases agreed in collective bargaining in the public sector because of its lower exposure to competitive