Making work more sustainable

via Eurofound News (June 2012)

A significant proportion of workers are exposed to working conditions that impact negatively on individual well-being, according to findings from the fifth European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS). If recovery from the current economic crisis is to be realised while maintaining the ambitious Europe 2020 goals of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, then it follows that work must be made smarter, more sustainable and more inclusive.

There are a number of factors driving the debate about work in Europe today: the ageing of European society, which is likely to lead to a reduction in the size of the labour force; the increased participation of women in the workforce – and the policy objective of pursuing this further; and the economic crisis, which puts pressure on both public finances and the social climate. While the combined impact of these factors is unknown, the new overview report on the fifth EWCS argues that ensuring that work is sustainable and inclusive will be a necessary part of responding to them.

Read more about the EWCS

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