Working conditions in the time of COVID-19: Implications for the future

EWCTS 2021 data

To accompany the report on ‘Working conditions in the time of COVID-19: Implications for the future’, Eurofound has developed a data explorer focusing on the responses to over 100 questions from the EWCTS 2021 questionnaire. Diving further into the data, a data story examines the prevalence of adverse social behaviour in the workplace in the EU27, and the resulting implications for health and well-being. Explore the data:

• Data: European Working Conditions Telephone Survey 2021 - Data visualisation
• Data story: Violence in the workplace: Women and frontline workers face higher risks

The full dataset for the European Working Conditions Telephone Survey (EWCTS) 2021 is available on the UK Data Service. 

Tables and figures

The report contains the following lists of tables and figures.

List of tables

• Table 1: Change in employment levels and weekly hours worked, year on year by quarter, by age and gender, EU27, 2019–2020 and 2020–2021
• Table 2: Distribution of workers according to employment situation at time of survey, by gender, EU27 (%)
• Table 3: Distribution of employees with working hours stated in their employment contract according to usual hours of work, by gender, EU27 (%)
• Table 4: Dimensions of job quality and corresponding job demands and job resources
• Table 5: Physical environment – High level of exposure to physical risks and demands, EU27, 2021 (%)
• Table 6: Social environment – Exposure to intimidation and discrimination and receipt of social support, EU27 (%)
• Table 7: Job tasks – Work intensity and task discretion and autonomy, EU27 (%)
• Table 8: Organisational characteristics – Organisational participation and dependence, EU27 (%)
• Table 9: Working time arrangements – Unsocial work schedules and flexibility in working hours, EU27 (%)
• Table 10: Job prospects – Job insecurity, training opportunities and career advancement, EU27 (%)
• Table 11: Intrinsic job features – Intrinsic rewards and opportunities for self-realisation, EU27, 2021 (%)
• Table 12: Association between job quality, job demands and job resources and well-being and quality of working life indicators
• Table 13: Reported health problems, by occupation, EU27 (percentage point difference from mean)
• Table 14: Greening occupational groups
• Table 15: Job demands of greening occupational groups compared with average
• Table 16: Job resources of greening occupational groups compared with average
• Table A1: EWCTS questionnaire structure
• Table A3: Variables used to identify COVID groups (other than occupation and sector)
• Table A4: Overview of the job quality dimensions and job characteristics of the quality of the working environment

List of figures

• Figure 1: Changes in unemployment, employment and inactivity rates, year on year by quarter, EU27, 2019–2020 and 2020–2021 (percentage points)
  Figure 2: Total number of jobs supported by government measures, by month, EU27, 2020–2021 (millions)
  Figure 3: Sectoral shifts in employment, by NACE sector, year on year by quarter, EU27, Q2 2019–Q2 2021 (percentage points)
  Figure 4: Occupational shifts in employment, year on year by quarter, EU27, Q2 2019–Q2 2021 (percentage points)
  Figure 5: Temporary employees as a proportion of all employees, EU Member States, 2019–2021 (%)
  Figure 6: Shares of sectors in total employment, by gender, EU27 (%)
  Figure 7: Distribution of men, women and all workers according to sectoral gender-balance category, EU27 (%)
  Figure 8: Shares of occupations in total employment, by gender, EU27 (%)
  Figure 9: Distribution of men and women according to occupational gender-balance category, EU27 (%)
  Figure 10: Composition of households, by full-time and part-time employment and by gender, EU27 (%)
  Figure 11: Composition of households, by full-time and part-time employment, EU Member States and other European countries (%)
  Figure 12: Workers with temporary contracts, by occupational group and duration of contract, EU27 (%)
  Figure 13: Solo self-employed workers, by dependence status, EU Member States and other European countries (%)
  Figure 14: Employees who worked more than contracted hours, breakdown by sector and occupation according to gender, EU27 (%)
  Figure 15: Main place of work, by employment status, EU27 (%)
  Figure 16: Main place of work, by sector, EU27 (%)
  Figure 17: Main place of work, by occupation, EU27 (%)
  Figure 18: Main place of work, by telework status, EU27 (%)
  Figure 19: Categorisation of working population into COVID groups, EU27 (%)
  Figure 20: High levels of physical risk, by sector, EU27 (%)
  Figure 21: Subsectors with highest levels of exposure to infectious materials and proportion of women employed in each, EU27 (%)
  Figure 22: Exposure to at least one type of intimidation, EU Member States (%)
  Figure 23: Exposure to intimidation and discrimination, by sector and gender, EU27 (%)
  Figure 24: Levels of social support from managers, by COVID group, EU27 (%)
  Figure 25: Working at high speed and to tight deadlines always or often, EU Member States and other European countries (%)
  Figure 26: Autonomy to choose or change methods of work, by occupation, EU27 (%)
  Figure 27: Organisational participation and workplace voice, by COVID group, EU27 (%)
  Figure 28: Working in free time, by place of work, EU27 (%)
  Figure 29: Long working hours, by place of work, EU27 (%)
  Figure 30: Working at short notice, by employment status, EU27 (%)
  Figure 31: Very easy to take an hour or two off work, by occupation and gender, EU27 (%)
  Figure 32: Expectation of undesirable change in the workplace situation, by sector, EU27 (%)
  Figure 33: Access to training opportunities, by COVID group, EU27 (%)
  Figure 34: Recognition at work, by COVID group, EU27 (%)
  Figure 35: Job quality index, EU Member States and other European countries (%)
  Figure 36: Job quality index, by employment status, EU27 (%)
  Figure 37: Job quality index, by sector, EU27 (%)
  Figure 38: Job quality index, by occupation, EU27 (%)
  Figure 39: Extent of influence of a computerised system, a supervisor, and customers on employees’ work, EU27 (%)
  Figure 40: Employees influenced to a large extent by a computerised system, a supervisor and customers, by occupation, EU27 (%)
  Figure 41: Employees influenced by a computerised system, a supervisor and customers, by level of autonomy, EU27 (%)
  Figure 42: Extent of combined influence on employees, by work intensity, EU27 (%)
  Figure 43: Frequency of working with digital devices, by extent of influence of a computerised system, EU27 (%)
  Figure 44: Autonomy of employees influenced by a computerised system, by use of a digital device, EU27 (%)
  Figure 45: Types of work organisation and proportion of EU employees in each, EU27 (%)
  Figure 46: Types of work organisation, by COVID groups, EU27 (% of employees)
  Figure 47: Job quality index, by type of work organisation, EU27 (% of employees)
  Figure 48: Health and safety delegate or committee in the workplace, by sector and workplace size, EU27 (% of employees)
  Figure 49: Health and safety delegate or committee in the workplace, EU Member States and other European countries (% of employees)
  Figure 50: Trade union, works council or similar body in the workplace, by sector and workplace size, EU27 (% of employees)
  Figure 51: Formal employee representation setup, by main place of work, EU27 (% of employees)
  Figure 52: Formal employee representation setup, by COVID group, EU27 (% of employees)
  Figure 53: Distribution of employees according to presence of formal employee representation and meetings in the workplace, EU27 (%)
  Figure 54: Predominant gender in the workplace, by gender, EU27 (%)
  Figure 55: Predominant gender in the workplace in mixed-gender occupations, EU27 (%)
  Figure 56: Predominant gender in the workplace, by COVID group, EU27 (%)
  Figure 57: Gender of the boss, EU Member States and other European countries (%)
  Figure 58: Gender of the boss, by employee gender, EU27 (%)
  Figure 59: Educational level of employees, by gender of boss, EU27 (%)
  Figure 60: COVID groups, by employee gender and gender of the boss, EU27 (%)
  Figure 61: Usual number of days in a working week, by employment status, EU27 (%)
  Figure 62: Usual weekly hours in paid work and their dispersion, by gender, EU Member States and other European countries (weekly hours)
  Figure 63: Distribution of employees and the self-employed according to usual weekly hours in paid work, by gender, EU27 (%)
  Figure 64: Usual weekly hours in paid work, by occupational group, sector and workplace size, EU27 (%)
  Figure 65: Gender gaps in weekly paid, unpaid and total working hours, EU Member States (weekly hours)
  Figure 66: Frequency of unpaid work activities, by gender, EU27 (%)
  Figure 67: Paid and unpaid work, by occupational group and gender, EU27 (weekly hours)
  Figure 68: Paid and unpaid work, by COVID group and gender, EU27 (weekly hours)
  Figure 69: Paid and unpaid work of women and men, by full-time and part-time status, EU27 (weekly hours)
  Figure 70: Paid, unpaid and total work of women and men, by age group, EU27 (weekly hours)
  Figure 71: Daily unpaid work activities, by gender and age group, EU27 (%)
  Figure 72: Paid and unpaid work of women and men, by number of children, EU27 (weekly hours)
  Figure 73: Paid and unpaid work of women and men, by ability to make ends meet, EU27 (weekly hours)
  Figure 74: Workers whose working hours fitted in with family and social commitments outside work well or very well, EU Member States and other European countries (%)
  Figure 75: Poor fit between working hours and family and social commitments outside work, by occupation, sector and employment status, EU27 (%)
  Figure 76: Fit between working hours and family and social commitments outside work, by COVID group, EU27 (%)
  Figure 77: Poor work–life balance, men and women compared, by age group, household type and age of youngest child, EU27 (%)
  Figure 78: Work–life conflicts, by occupation and sector, EU27 (%)
  Figure 79: Work–life conflicts, men and women compared, by COVID group, EU27 (%)
  Figure 80: Worrying about work (always or often), men and women compared, by age group, household type and age of youngest child, EU27 (%)
  Figure 81: Feeling tired after work (always or often), men and women compared, by age group, household type and age of youngest child, EU27 (%)
  Figure 82: Fit between working hours and family and social commitments outside work, by job quality, EU27 (%)
  Figure 83: Work–life conflicts, men and women compared, by job quality, EU27 (%)
  Figure 84: Distribution of usual and preferred weekly hours, by gender and employment status, EU27 (%)
  Figure 85: Working time preferences, by usual weekly working hours and work–life balance, EU27 (%)
  Figure 86: Working time preferences, by age group, employment status, occupation and sector, EU27 (%)
  Figure 87: Working time preferences, by relationship between usual hours and contracted hours, EU27 (%)
  Figure 88: Difference between average usual and preferred weekly working hours, by household type and gender, EU27 (hours)
  Figure 89: Working time preferences, by COVID group, EU27 (%)
  Figure 90: Difficulty making ends meet, by country, EU27 and other European countries (%)
  Figure 91: Difficulty making ends meet, by household type and level of difficulty, EU27 (%)
  Figure 92: Financial sustainability indicators, by COVID group, EU27 (%)
  Figure 93: Job quality index, by ability to make ends meet, EU27 (%)
  Figure 94: Aspects of social climate, by type of work organisation, EU27 (%)
  Figure 95: Aspects of social climate, by COVID group, EU27 (%)
  Figure 96: Social climate indicator, by job quality index, EU27 (%)
  Figure 97: Work engagement, by type of work organisation and COVID group, EU27 (%)
  Figure 98: Work engagement by the job quality index, EU27 (%)
  Figure 99: Employees whose health and safety is at risk because of their work, by sector and occupation, EU27 (%)
  Figure 100: Health problems reported in the 12 months before the survey, EU27 (%)
  Figure 101: Number of health problems, by COVID group, EU27 (%)
  Figure 102: Presenteeism, by place of work, EU27 (%)
  Figure 103: Presenteeism, by gender, EU27 and other European countries (%)
  Figure 104: WHO-5 Well-being Index scores, by sociodemographic group and employment status (mean)
  Figure 105: Job quality index, by health-related indicators, EU27 (%)
  Figure 106: Job quality index, by greening occupational groups (%)