Barbara Gerstenberger

​Head of Unit, Working life research unit

Barbara Gerstenberger is Head of the Working Life unit at Eurofound. In this role, she coordinates the research teams investigating job quality in Europe based on the European Working Conditions Survey and has overall responsibility for the European Observatory of Working Life and research into industrial relations in the EU. She joined Eurofound in 2001 as a research manager in the then newly established European Monitoring Centre on Change (EMCC). In 2007, she moved to Eurofound’s Information and Communication unit as Head of Communication Products, before being appointed Coordinator in the Directorate in 2011. Previously, she worked as senior research officer in the European Metalworkers’ Federation in Brussels. A graduate in political science from Hamburg University, she completed a Master's degree in Public Administration at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.

Onderwerpen
Sustainable work
Working conditions and sustainable work

Staff

Professional information

CV and declaration of interest

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Outputs by Barbara Gerstenberger

Results (6)
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Changing labour markets: How to prevent a mismatch between skills and jobs in times of transition - Background paper

On request by the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Eurofound prepared a background paper as a basis for the discussion at the informal Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO) meeting on 3-4 May 2023. The paper outlines some of the key challenges

04 May 2023
Publication
Customised report
Skills and training
European Green Deal
Employment and labour markets
Digitalisation
Labour market policies
Just transition
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Arbeidsomstandigheden in tijden van COVID-19: gevolgen voor de toekomst

Als gevolg van de strenge gezondheidsmaatregelen die de overheid in 2020 heeft opgelegd om de COVID-19-pandemie het hoofd te bieden, is ons werkleven er plots helemaal anders gaan uitzien. De beperkingen hebben zich ook in de twee jaar daarna nog laten voelen. Tussen maart en november 2021 werden

29 November 2022
Publication
Research report
Skills and training
Working time
Working poor
Working conditions and sustainable work
Working conditions
Teleworking
Sustainable work
Work-life balance
Health and well-being at work
Baankwaliteit
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Arbeidsomstandigheden en duurzaam werk: een analyse aan de hand van het kwaliteitskader voor banen

In dit vlaggenschiprapport worden beknopt de belangrijkste bevindingen weergegeven van het onderzoek van Eurofound naar de arbeidsomstandigheden dat is uitgevoerd in de programmeringsperiode 2017-2020. In het rapport wordt de vooruitgang geïnventariseerd die sinds 2000 is geboekt bij het verbeteren

26 February 2021
Publication
Flagship report
Psychosocial risks
Working time
Working conditions and sustainable work
Working conditions
Sustainable work
Undeclared work
Work-life balance
Work organisation
Employment relationship
Health and well-being at work
Gender equality
COVID-19
Baankwaliteit
Ageing workforce
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Gender equality at work

Gender inequality at work persists across Europe, despite the long standing attention paid and efforts made to tackle it. This Eurofound report presents a closer look at women’s and men’s working conditions, using data from Eurofound’s European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS) and complementing

03 March 2020
Publication
Research report
Working conditions and sustainable work
Working conditions
Sustainable work
Work-life balance
Gender equality
Employment and labour markets
Inclusive labour markets
Labour market participation
Job quality
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Improving the monitoring of posted workers in the EU

The debate about the posting of workers in the EU, its economic and social consequences, and ways to manage it is hampered by the fact that reliable, comparable data on the phenomenon are lacking. Accurate statistics on the number of posted workers, their characteristics and working conditions are s

20 January 2020
Publication
Customised report
Posted workers
Working conditions and sustainable work
Undeclared work
Labour and social regulation
Industrial relations and social dialogue
Industrial relations

Salary-setting mechanisms across the EU

Eurofound has a considerable body of research findings looking at how salary levels are set in EU Member States. This report looks at the mechanisms used to determine statutory minimum wages, the use of variable pay schemes in companies in the EU, and national systems of supplementary pay.

27 March 2018
Publication
Customised report
Pay and income
Results (3)

Future of work: Are we ready for tomorrow?

There is no one future of work for all jobs – policymakers will have their work cut out to ensure that remote and platform working, artificial intelligence and climate change policies will benefit and not disadvantage workers.

2 mei 2024
Barbara Gerstenberger
Blog
Working conditions and sustainable work
Platform work
Job quality

Gender equality – What’s next? Let’s focus on the world of work

The jury is still out on the question whether men and women are from distinct planets. When it comes to the world of work, however, they are worlds apart.

25 oktober 2023
Barbara Gerstenberger
Blog
Working conditions and sustainable work
Gender equality
Working time
Work-life balance
A worker sitting on the floor

Job quality is pivotal in addressing today’s workplace and societal challenges

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we live and work. With the lifting of restrictions across the globe, we are now able to examine the many repercussions on the world of work. In particular, the unique demands of the last few years have shone a harsh spotlight on the pressures brought to bear

17 januari 2023
Barbara Gerstenberger
Blog
Pay and income
Psychosocial risks
Working conditions and sustainable work
Working conditions
Subjective well-being
Health and well-being at work
Job quality
Results (6)

Episode 19 – Tackling the gender pay and employment gaps

In this special episode of Eurofound Talks for International Women's Day 2024, Mary McCaughey speaks with Eurofound researchers Carlos Vacas and Barbara Gerstenberger about the gender pay and employment gaps in Europe.

4 maart 2024
Podcast
Gender equality
Inequality
Pay and income

Episode 12 – Job quality

In this episode of Eurofound Talks, Eurofound Head of Unit for Working Life Barbara Gerstenberger discusses what the EWCTS reveals about job quality, the implications of poor-quality jobs on well-being and broader society, and what policymakers can do to improve the working lives of people in Europe

8 februari 2023
Podcast
Job quality
Working conditions
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Episode 6 – Living and working in Europe: Past, present and future

This podcast focuses on our annual update on the state of ‘Living and working in Europe’. It highlights trends and changes – both positive and negative – in the way citizens across the EU work today, and serves as a guide to policymakers at EU and Member State level. Our experts detail these with us

9 mei 2022
Podcast
Living and working in Europe
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Episode 1 – Sustainable work

Never before have we had so much discussion about the way we work, the future of work and how this will impact our lives and those of the next generation. This podcast takes a deep dive into the opportunities and challenges associated with what we call ‘sustainable work’.

1 december 2021
Podcast
Sustainable work

EMCC dossier on the financial services sector

/The recent financial crisis has brought to light the serious challenges that the European financial services sector is facing. What are the prospects of a viable, more resilient financial industry emerging from the crisis? To answer this question, we need to look at the economic trends in the

11 oktober 2010
Article
Anticipating and managing the impact of change
Employment and labour markets

EMCC dossier on the financial services sector - Three case studies

The three case studies presented above were conducted using published material from companies, like annual reports, press releases and, especially, reports of rating agencies. The companies investigated in the case studies did not agree to site visits and interviews (for a more detailed explanation

11 oktober 2010
Article
Anticipating and managing the impact of change
Employment and labour markets