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Levensomstandigheden en kwaliteit van het bestaan

Levensomstandigheden en de kwaliteit van het bestaan zijn een van de zes hoofdactiviteiten van het werkprogramma van Eurofound voor de periode 2021-2024. Eurofound zal de belangrijkste aspecten van de verbetering van de levensomstandigheden van de mensen in Europa in kaart blijven brengen en analyseren, met inbegrip van informatie over hun perceptie van de samenleving en de kwaliteit van het bestaan. Aangezien de COVID-19 -pandemie en de daaruit voortvloeiende economische crisis grote gevolgen hebben (gehad) voor ieders leven, zal Eurofound de gevolgen van deze crisis voor EU-burgers in verschillende levensfasen nader onderzoeken.

In de periode 2021-2024 zal het onderzoek van Eurofound een belangrijk inzicht verschaffen in de uitdagingen en vooruitzichten op het gebied van levensomstandigheden en de kwaliteit van het bestaan in de EU en de rol van diverse initiatieven om de sociale problemen van verschillende groepen burgers te verlichten. Van bijzonder belang zijn de gevolgen voor ouderen en zorgbehoeften, jongeren en hun sociale inclusie en sociale mobiliteit, en de – niet parallel lopende – gevolgen van de crisis voor mannen en vrouwen .

Openbare diensten in de hele EU spelen een belangrijke rol bij de aanpak van de COVID-19-crisis waarbij zij met grote uitdagingen worden geconfronteerd, en zij zullen uitvoeriger worden beoordeeld met bijzondere aandacht voor kwesties als kwaliteit, toegang en betaalbaarheid. Zoals uit eerdere bevindingen is gebleken, heeft de crisis onevenredige gevolgen (gehad) voor bepaalde groepen al naargelang leeftijd, zorgtaken en evenwicht tussen werk en privéleven , wat door Eurofound nader zal worden geanalyseerd.

In samenwerking met het Europees Instituut voor gendergelijkheid (EIGE) is Eurofound voornemens de multidimensionale genderkloof onder de loep te nemen door onderzoek te doen naar de gevolgen van de COVID-19-crisis voor mannen en vrouwen op het gebied van arbeidsparticipatie, materiële levensomstandigheden en welzijn – om de verschillen in kaart te brengen en het effect van die crisis op de verschillende vormen van de genderkloof te beoordelen.

De kwaliteit van de openbare diensten is van cruciaal belang geweest voor het opbouwen van vertrouwen in de instellingen in het hedendaagse Europa en zal van cruciaal belang zijn om de huidige en toekomstige uitdagingen aan te gaan. Kwaliteitsdiensten moeten ook steeds gelijke tred houden met de ontwikkelingen, met name wat betreft de overgang naar digitale, milieuvriendelijkere diensten en in de toekomst voorbereid zijn op risico’s zoals de pandemie.

— Tadas Leončikas, senior onderzoeksmanager, eenheid Sociaal Beleid

Topic

Recent updates

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Increasing emphasis on independent living and social inclusion is driving deinstitutionalisation – the shift away from a reliance on residential institutions towards family- and community-based settings for the provision of...

25 oktober 2024
Publication
Research report

Belangrijke beleidsboodschappen

Infographic

De belangrijkste bevindingen van het onderzoek van Eurofound dienen als input voor beleidsmakers om een aantal van de belangrijkste kwesties op dit gebied aan te pakken.

  • De perceptie van spanningen in de samenleving heeft de grootste schadelijke impact op het vertrouwen in instellingen. De kwaliteit van openbare diensten is een belangrijke drijvende kracht voor het vergroten van het vertrouwen in instellingen.
  • Er is niet alleen behoefte aan meer, maar ook aan flexibelere langdurige zorg. De beschikbaarheid van thuiszorg en -ondersteuning moet worden verbeterd, met name in de EU-lidstaten met de laagste inkomens.
  • Aangezien snelle toegang tot eerstelijnsgezondheidszorg, sociale zorg en langdurige zorg als voordeel heeft dat vroegtijdig kan worden ingegrepen en veranderende behoeften in kaart kunnen worden gebracht, kan voorkomen worden dat problemen op het vlak van langdurige zorg erger worden.
  • De geestelijke-gezondheidsproblemen van jongeren nemen toe, maar het is niet duidelijk of dit een kwestie is van een inderdaad hogere incidentie, of dat dit komt door betere diagnose en een toegenomen bewustzijn van deze problematiek. Geestelijke gezondheid hangt nauw samen met andere problemen van jongeren en kan zowel oorzaak als gevolg zijn van ongelijkheid. Risicofactoren voor de geestelijke gezondheid zijn onder meer handicaps en langdurige ziekte, gezinsproblemen, (relatie)problemen met leeftijdsgenoten en intensief gebruik van sociale media.
  • Hoewel het vertrouwen en de sociale cohesie in de EU zich sinds de financiële crisis in grote lijnen hebben hersteld, heeft de uitbraak van COVID-19 aanzienlijke gevolgen gehad voor het welzijn in de landen die het hardst door de pandemie zijn getroffen.
  • Jongeren komen naar voren als een van de grootste verliezers van de lockdown: samen met werklozen geven zij de laagste score aan hun welzijn, hoewel er sinds het begin van de pandemie sprake is van enige verbetering. Hoewel de algemene tevredenheid en het optimisme sinds april 2020 zijn toegenomen, voelen jongeren zich nog steeds uitgesloten van de maatschappij en lopen zij nog steeds het grootste risico op depressie, waaruit blijkt dat zij grotere nadelen ondervinden van de beperkingen tijdens de lockdown.
  • Maatregelen om de risico’s voor de geestelijke gezondheid van werklozen en jongeren als gevolg van COVID-19 te beperken, zijn van cruciaal belang als zich nog meer golven van het coronavirus gaan voordoen. Bestaande beleidsmaatregelen moeten gerichte steun omvatten om werkzoekenden weer op weg te helpen zodat ze het hoofd kunnen bieden aan de gevolgen van de pandemie, en ervoor zorgen dat jongeren volledig aan de samenleving kunnen deelnemen.
  • De COVID-19-crisis heeft het optimisme uitgehold en het evenwicht tussen werk en privéleven voor vrouwen meer aangetast dan voor mannen. Alleen door deze schade te herstellen, kan worden gewaarborgd dat vrouwen niet onevenredig voor de pandemie betalen.
  • Ervoor zorgen dat burgers vertrouwen houden in nationale en Europese instellingen moet in tijden van crisis centraal staan, omdat de naleving van maatregelen om COVID-19 tegen te gaan in hoge mate afhangt van de mate van vertrouwen in instellingen en wetenschappelijk advies. De toename van vertrouwen in de overheid waarvan melding wordt gemaakt door respondenten die hebben geprofiteerd van ondersteuningsmaatregelen, vormt tevens een duidelijke boodschap aan de nationale overheden en de EU.

2021–2024 work plan

During 2021–2024, Eurofound’s research will provide an important insight into the challenges and prospects in the area of living conditions and quality of life in the EU and the role played by various initiatives aimed at alleviating the social hardship of various groups of citizens. Of particular interest are the implications for older people and care needs, youth and their social inclusion and social mobility, and the varying consequences of the crisis on men and women.

Public services across the EU played a major role in addressing the COVID-19 crisis while facing significant challenges and they will be assessed in greater detail, focusing on issues such as quality, access and affordability. As previous findings have shown, the crisis has had disproportionate effects on certain groups according to age, care responsibilities and work-life balance, and Eurofound will analyse this further.

In coordination with the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), Eurofound intends to research the multidimensional gender gap by investigating the impact on men and women of the COVID-19 crisis in terms of employment participation, material living conditions and well-being – in order to identify the differences and assess its effect on gender gaps.

Addressing stakeholder priorities

Eurofound’s research aims to assist policy action addressing the challenges and opportunities for the EU and national levels in the area of living conditions and quality of life. In particular, it will monitor the impact of COVID-19 and the ensuing economic crisis by providing knowledge on status, trends, risks, as well as ways to improve living conditions in the EU. Eurofound will focus on identifying and analysing pressing issues for the most vulnerable groups, specifically older citizens and young people. Eurofound will also inform policymakers by producing evidence on trends and drivers in relation to the delivery of public services, also linking in, for example, with the European Pillar of Social Rights.

The Agency’s work plan is aligned with the European Commission’s political guidelines over the next four years, directly feeding into a number of key policy areas aimed at creating a strong social Europe. In particular, the research will support policy initiatives and activities linked with the implementation of the European Gender Equality Strategy 2020–2025, the Youth Guarantee, the Child Guarantee and the European Semester and its country-specific recommendations.

 

Eurofound research

In 2024, Eurofound continues to monitor trends in living conditions and quality of life, against the backdrop of the health-related and economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, the implications of the war in Ukraine, rising energy prices, and increases in costs of living. Building on the various rounds of the Living, working and COVID-19 e-survey, as well as on data gathered in 2023, the Agency investigates the impact of these challenges on the living conditions of Europeans.

The European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS) commences in 2024, including some questions on working conditions and living conditions relevant to the aftermath of COVID-19. The European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS) follows in 2026 using lessons drawn from the 2024 EWCS.

Research concludes on identifying groups not covered by social protection, due to coverage gaps and non-take-up of minimum income and unemployment schemes. It also looks at adequacy of these benefits, digitalisation of application procedures, linked service entitlements and sanctioning measures. Eurofound also publishes its findings on EU citizens’ rights and opportunities to live independently. It analyses the situation faced by various vulnerable groups and provides an overview of measures that facilitate family- and community-based care and support in the Member States.

Building on previous work on young people, research concludes on the life and prospects of young people in the post-pandemic era. Using new data collected in 2023, this research assesses the long-term impact of the pandemic on this group, looking into changes in the social situation of young people, as well as their quality of life, mental health and future prospects.

Analysis of the monitoring framework of the European Child Guarantee comes to an end in 2024, while new research starts to support national governments and the EU institutions in the implementation and evaluation of the Child Guarantee since it came into force. This work investigates the Member States’ levels of performance and their disparities, building on its previous work on convergence. It focuses on the workforce needed to deliver the Child Guarantee in areas of early childhood education and care, education, healthcare and other relevant sectors.

Considering the importance of care provision in EU societies, new research investigates informal care provision in the EU, the challenges faced by informal caregivers, and the measures in place to support them. This research considers care provided to people of all ages, while taking into consideration the diversity among informal carers. 

Eurofound launches new research on mental health services, investigating trends in and prevalence of mental health problems for different groups and how these needs are met in various countries in light of the pandemic and the arrival of Ukrainian refugees. 

Key outputs

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Eurofound's 2024 work programme is set in the context of the upcoming European elections, war in Ukraine, renewed Middle East conflict and rising cost of living across the EU.

23 januari 2024
Publication
Work programme
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Onbetaalbare huisvesting is een punt van grote zorg in de EU. Gebrek aan betaalbare woningen leidt tot dakloosheid, woononzekerheid, financiële druk en ontoereikende huisvesting. Ook ontneemt het jongeren de mogelijkheid...

30 mei 2023
Publication
Research report
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Het jaar 2022 begon met voorzichtig optimisme. Europa was na twee jaar COVID-19-pandemie weer aan het opkrabbelen met het herstelplan NextGenerationEU, dat moet helpen bouwen aan een sterke en duurzame...

4 mei 2023
Publication
Annual report

Eurofound expert(s)

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Hans Dubois is a senior research manager in the Social Policies unit at Eurofound. His research topics include housing, over-indebtedness, healthcare, long-term care, social...

Senior research manager,
Social policies research unit
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Massimiliano Mascherini has been Head of the Social Policies unit at Eurofound since October 2019. He joined Eurofound in 2009 as a research manager, designing and coordinating...

Head of Unit,
Social policies research unit
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Sanna Nivakoski is a research officer in the Social Policies unit at Eurofound. Before joining Eurofound in 2021, she worked as a post-doctoral researcher at University College...

Research officer,
Social policies research unit
Publications results (310)

The overall focus of the study on ‘Company initiatives for workers with care responsibilities’ is on company (employer) initiatives to support the needs of workers who have (informal) care responsibilities, including parents caring for children with disabilities and informal carers of adults who

22 November 2010

Overall, household debt levels have risen sharply over the past decades in EU Member States. While certain levels of household debts can be beneficial, they can become problematic especially with a sudden, unexpected decrease of incomes or increase of expenditures. The current financial crisis

14 October 2010

Urban populations have become increasingly heterogeneous in ethnic, cultural and religious terms. These multi-ethnic, multicultural and multi-religious structures challenge the ability of municipalities to establish or maintain peaceful relations among the different segments of the population. The

26 September 2010

Urban populations have become increasingly heterogeneous in ethnic, cultural and religious terms. These multi-ethnic, multicultural and multi-religious structures challenge the ability of municipalities to establish or maintain peaceful relations among the different segments of the population. The

26 September 2010

Urban populations have become increasingly heterogeneous in ethnic, cultural and religious terms. These multi-ethnic, multicultural and multi-religious structures challenge the ability of municipalities to establish or maintain peaceful relations among the different segments of the population. The

26 September 2010

Urban populations have become increasingly heterogeneous in ethnic, cultural and religious terms. These multi-ethnic, multicultural and multi-religious structures challenge the ability of municipalities to establish or maintain peaceful relations among the different segments of the population. The

26 September 2010

Urban populations have become increasingly heterogeneous in ethnic, cultural and religious terms. These multi-ethnic, multicultural and multi-religious structures challenge the ability of municipalities to establish or maintain peaceful relations among the different segments of the population. The

26 September 2010

Urban populations have become increasingly heterogeneous in ethnic, cultural and religious terms. These multi-ethnic, multicultural and multi-religious structures challenge the ability of municipalities to establish or maintain peaceful relations among the different segments of the population. The

26 September 2010

This issue of Foundation Focus looks at the findings of Eurofound's pan-European quality of life surveys and what they reveal about the process of economic and social cohesion across the Union, within Member States, between different groups of European citizens, and the impact of the economic crisis

09 August 2010

European cities have become increasingly diverse in ethnic and religious terms. This creates opportunities for cultural innovativeness and international competitiveness. However, the growing diversity in the local population makes influencing and managing intergroup relations and developing

02 August 2010

Online resources results (219)

Gender pay gap still apparent in management posts

In the period 2005–2008, the Research Institute for Labour and Social Affairs (Výzkumný ústav práce a sociálních vĕcí, RILSA [1]) implemented the Gender in management project (in Czech, 1Mb PDF) [2], which analysed the position of women in relation to men in the same management jobs in Czech

New research on call centre industry

A study (1.16Mb PDF) [1] on Malta’s call centre industry was commissioned by the Employment and Training Corporation (ETC [2]) in 2008. The study, which was published in September 2008, is based on information gathered from two main sources: from eight employers involved in the call centre industry

Women satisfied with current division of labour

In the past, the division of labour was absolute: women ruled the house and men ruled the labour market. However, in the 1960s this picture began to change. Women entered the labour market and the traditional male ‘breadwinner’ model changed to a dual earner model. This evolution was distinctive in

Men’s attitudes to sharing parenting tasks

In 2005–2006, *the Bulgarian Ministry of Labour and Social Policy (*Министерство на труда и социалната политика, MLSP [1]) *and the* Gender Project for Bulgaria Foundation [2] conducted a project entitled ‘Men equal, men different’ [3]. It *was* part of a European project under the EU 5th Framework

Recommendations for improving work–life balance

A joint study (in Greek, 490Kb PPT) [1] entitled ‘Models of work-life balance [2] and the demand for gender-based equality of opportunity – Social networks for work–life balance’ was published in December 2007 by the Frederick Research Centre (FRC [3]), the Centre for Social Research and Development

Encouraging men to play a more active role in caring

‘Fostering caring masculinities’ (FOCUS [1]) is the name of a project that seeks to encourage men to play a more active role in caring tasks, challenging the stereotype of caring as a gender-related and undervalued activity in society. The project involves five countries: Germany, Iceland, Norway

Employers agree on need to balance family and work interests

Within the framework of the European Commission’s EQUAL [1] initiative, the project FORWARD! Family and work reconciliation development [2] implemented in Lithuania allowed for a sociological survey to be carried out among employers. The survey aimed to identify employers’ attitudes towards ways of

Work–life balance policies benefit working parents

Work-life balance [1] policies in the workplace are regulated through a mix of collective agreements, legislation and guidelines for good practice in Denmark, with collective agreements often allowing for more extensive entitlements than the law. The various work–life policies include flexible

Low uptake of flexible work arrangements in public administration

Jobs in public administration are considered dependable and rarely involve overtime work. For this reason, employment in such institutions is often deemed as the ideal choice for parents in the Czech Republic. However, a questionnaire-based survey has revealed that the use of flexible working

Workers rate training provision and good working environment most important

In December 2007, the temporary work agency Adecco [1] presented the results of a survey on the main preferences of Spanish workers in relation to their working and employment conditions. The Adecco survey, entitled ‘What would you ask your company at Christmas time?’ (¿Qué le pedirías a tu empresa


Blogs results (32)
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Vaccine acceptance is key to the success of COVID-19 vaccination campaigns worldwide. Worryingly, over a quarter of people living in Europe are hesitant about taking a COVID-19 vaccine, and the level of hesitancy is especially high among heavy users of social media. The spread of misinformation on s

23 juni 2021
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An ageing Europe and rising public expenditure on long-term care have signalled for some time that the fundamentals of care provision need to be addressed. However, the shocking death toll in care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic and the fact that many long-term care services were ill-equipped to

2 december 2020
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As Europe faces into what appears to be a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, concern is mounting about the evolution and dramatic impact of the disease, with rising numbers of infections, hospitalisations and deaths. There is also a growing focus on the repercussions for the economy, the labour m

7 oktober 2020
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​​​​​​​While women appear to be more resilient than men to COVID-19 in terms of health outcomes, that is not the case when it comes to the economic and social fallout. Measures taken by governments to control the spread of the virus are exacerbating gender divides in unemployment, domestic labour an

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While we now know that the idea that ‘COVID-19 only affects older people’ is fake news, the first weeks of the pandemic have shown that young people are in general more resilient than older people to the disease. But are they also more resilient to its social and economic impacts?

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The impact of COVID-19 continues to create chaos in people’s lives across Europe and the world. The economy is heading towards another major dip, and a sense of general insecurity pervades. The daunting challenges confronting health services and projections on the long-term impact of the crisis domi

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‘Digital transformation’ has been a buzzword in policy circles for some time now, and commitments to making it work for citizens, business and society as whole abound. Brussels has been no exception – the European Commission presented its data and artificial intelligence (AI) strategies in February

23 april 2020
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The votes have been cast, tallied and declared and we can now see the political landscape of the new European Parliament. It is a complex picture: there has been growth of far-right and populist parties, but well short of what was projected, and at the same time there has been a boost for pro

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Depopulation of rural areas and the concentration of employment and education opportunities in urban centres is a fact of modern life. What impact does this have on the quality of life of rural residents? Do they feel increasingly isolated, and what are the emerging trends? New research by Eurofound

8 mei 2019
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Europe is showing visible signs of progress; in most countries, labour markets are healthier than they have been in a decade, with more people active and in work than ever before, while social exclusion is declining. However, it is also a continent in transition, where an imbalance in opportunities

18 juni 2018

Upcoming publications results (2)

This report analyses data from Eurofound’s European Working Conditions Telephone Survey (EWCTS), the Living, working and COVID-19 e-survey and official statistics to examine employment trends, working conditions and social inclusion challenges experienced by young people in the Western Balkans (Alba

December 2024
Forthcoming
Publication
Research report

This factsheet will provide a snapshot of society and quality of life in spring 2024. It will look at a number of issues, including mental well-being, trust, access to healthcare, social support and coping with increases in the cost of living. The analysis is based on the Living and working in the

December 2024
Data results (1)
24 oktober 2023
Reference period:

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