Did the unemployment rates converge in the EU?

Youth unemployment is a problem in each member country of the European Union (EU). The EU seeks to alleviate this problem by implementing various programs to support young people in finding and keeping a job, thus contributing to economic growth. In 2020, the world was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. The countries have introduced many strict measures to prevent its spread, but they have caused a significant increase in unemployment, including among young people, and thus harmed economic growth. In this paper, we analyze the unemployment of people under the age of twenty-five in the EU. We also point out how unemployment rates have increased in individual countries. This problem concerns not only countries where the youth unemployment rate had been high already, such as Greece, Spain, and Italy, but also countries with previously lower rates, for example, the Czech Republic, Netherland, Poland, and Slovenia. In the latter group of countries, the youth unemployment rate has doubled in some cases due to anti-pandemic measures. We found that the most affected countries in this regard are the aforementioned Czech Republic, where the unemployment rate at the end of 2020 rose to 2.19 times above the level at the end of 2019, and Estonia, where year-over-year youth unemployment rose by a factor of 2.5. However, unfavorable developments occurred also in Lithuania, Latvia, and Ireland. According to our results, in 2020, youth unemployment increased the least in Hungary, Italy, and Belgium. In general, however, as the situation is now much more urgent, measures to alleviate this problem need to be put in place in each country to help young people find employment and, thus, stimulate economic growth.

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Emigration and labour shortages: An opportunity for trade unions in the New Member States?

European Journal of Industrial Relations ◽

10.1177/0959680111400916 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 17 (2) ◽

pp. 189-203 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Monika Ewa Kaminska ◽

Marta Kahancová

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Trade Unions ◽

Public Health Care ◽

Unemployment Rates ◽

The Public ◽

New Member States ◽

Industrial Action ◽

Bargaining Position ◽

Wage Increases ◽

The Eu

Emigration from the post-socialist states which joined the EU in 2004 and 2007 has reduced unemployment rates and created shortages of some skills. This should provide opportunities for trade unions to improve their situation, by facilitating union organizing and strengthening their bargaining position. Have unions grasped these opportunities? We adopt an actor-centred perspective to examine their strategies and actions in the public health care sector — strongly affected by migration — in Slovakia, Poland and Hungary. We argue that variation in union strategies depends mainly on the interplay of union capacities and state strategies. Slovak unions used the established sectoral bargaining system to obtain wage increases and to consolidate the bargaining machinery. In contrast, Polish unions gained wage increases through industrial action. Hungarian health care unions mostly failed to seize migration-related opportunities.

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Sympathy for the Devil? Exploring Flexicurity Win–Win Promises

IZA Journal of Labor Policy ◽

10.2478/izajolp-2019-0009 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Pablo de Pedraza ◽

Marcos Álvarez-Díaz ◽

Marcos Domínguez-Torreiro

Keyword(s):

Social Rights ◽

Income Security ◽

Unemployment Rates ◽

Golden Triangle ◽

The Social ◽

Employment Security ◽

The Relationship ◽

The Devil ◽

Generous Welfare ◽

The Eu

Abstract Flexicurity is the combination of more flexibility for employers and more security for workers. It is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon that lacks a well-developed monitoring framework or a statistically consistent grouping of the indicators. First, this paper proposes a conceptual framework by building upon the Wilthagen and Tros (2004) flexicurity matrix and the Danish Golden Triangle. It constructs flexicurity “drivers” by pooling together variables that are conceptually related to each other and a specific type of flexibility or security. Then, it obtains statistically consistent aggregate measures for each driver and selects three drivers that represent the three corners of the Danish “golden triangle”: external numerical flexibility, employment security, and income security. It conducts an empirical analysis on the evolution of the selected flexicurity drivers over time and across European Union (EU) countries and on the relationship between selected flexicurity drivers and social outcomes from the Social Scoreboard of the European Pillar of Social Rights. It finds evidence of convergence on external numerical flexibility and polarization on employment and income security across the EU. It finds that higher flexibility at the onset of the crisis contributed to a reduction in the unemployment rates after the crisis, while a more generous welfare system contributed to reducing poverty. Employment security, however, appears to be linked to the presence of higher levels of income inequality after the crisis.

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THE OPPORTUNITIES OF TOURISM IN SOLVING UNEMPLOYMENT

Tourism and hospitality management ◽

10.20867/thm.7.1-2.2 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 7 (1-2) ◽

pp. 21-36

Author(s):

Branko Blažević ◽

Tanja Vuković

Keyword(s):

Young People ◽

Critical Groups ◽

Employment Rate ◽

Unemployment Rates ◽

Eu Countries ◽

Mediterranean Countries ◽

Employment Of Women ◽

Employment Potential ◽

Almost All ◽

The Eu

Although tourism does not have the same priority throughout the EU countries, it can help to improve the employment rate of critical groups such as women, young people, the long-term unemployed, ethnic minorities, etc. in almost all of the countries. Part-time and temporary jobs, which are frequent forms of employment in tourism, can have special significance in stimulating the employment of women and young people. Encouraging tourism in certain regions can have favourable impact on the employment rate in these areas. In countries where unemployment is not a large problem, tourism represents additional export. Portugal and Austria, two pronounced tourist destinations, together with Ireland, have recognized the employment potential that tourism has to offer, and they are using tourism to decrease their unemployment rates. Unfortunately, the majority of Mediterranean countries, where tourism is often one of the most important economic branches, has not grasped this opportunity, and still suffers high unemployment rates. In Croatia, tourism is a sector that can significantly contribute to accelerating economic development. Croatia possesses a great potential for increasing its tourism activities, which would in turn generate a large number of jobs in tourism, as well as in the adjoining economic branches. The positive experience of the EU countries in this respect can serve as an example to Croatia in successfully overcoming the issue of unemployment through tourism.

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The Impact of Economic Growth on Gender Specific Unemployment in the EU

Annals of the Alexandru Ioan Cuza University - Economics ◽

10.1515/aicue-2015-0026 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 62 (3) ◽

pp. 383-390 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Zuzana Brincikova ◽

Lubomir Darmo

Keyword(s):

Economic Growth ◽

Economic Performance ◽

Gdp Growth ◽

Unemployment Rates ◽

And Gender ◽

The Impact ◽

The Relationship ◽

Gender Specific ◽

Higher Sensitivity ◽

The Eu

Abstract The relationship between unemployment and economic growth is known as Okun´s Law. Okun´s Law is used to estimate the reaction of unemployment rate on change in GDP growth. The purpose of this paper is therefore to examine the possibly asymmetric relationship between changes in output and gender specific unemployment rates by estimating Okun´s coefficients for all countries of the EU, as well as for selected groups of the EU countries. These groups include countries with similar characteristics that differ from other groups and represent the diversity among the EU. The results confirm that male unemployment is more sensitive to changes in GDP than the unemployment of females. Furthermore, findings differ on the country´s specifics with higher sensitivity in countries with lower economic performance.

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Youth Employment Trends and Prospects in the European Union: A Comparative Analysis

SOCIETY INTEGRATION EDUCATION Proceedings of the International Scientific Conference ◽

10.17770/sie2015vol3.366 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 3 ◽

pp. 444

Author(s):

Asta Visockaitė ◽

Audronė Urmanavičienė

Keyword(s):

European Union ◽

Youth Unemployment ◽

Youth Employment ◽

The European Union ◽

Member States ◽

Unemployment Rates ◽

Eu Member States ◽

Employment Trends ◽

European Union Member States ◽

The Eu

Youth employment is of great importance and relevance nowadays. The article analyses the issues of youth employment among the Member states of the European Union. According to the statistics and research data provided by the World Bank and Eurostat the situation of youth employment among the European Union member states and all across the Globe is deteriorating. The article focuses on analysing the programmes and initiatives of the European Union competent institutions and Member states of the European Union which aim to decrease the rates of youth unemployment.Aim of the study: to evaluate the programs and initiatives aiming to decrease youth unemployment which are currently being implemented by the Institutions and Member states of the European Union.Methods of the study: secondary analysis of the collected data (general overview). Results: programs and measures aiming to decrease the youth unemployment rates in the EU Member states are being vastly initiated and implemented since early 2010. With the endorsement of the Plan to tackle and reduce youth unemployment rates, which foresees to accelerate the implementation of the Youth Employment and the Youth Guarantee initiatives, various youth employment promotional tools are being applied among the Member states. After analyzing and evaluating the aforementioned programs and initiatives carried out by the Institutions and Member states of the European Union, general tendencies of decreasing the youth unemployment rates may be determined.

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The Relationship between Economic Growth and Unemployment Rates: Validation of Okun’s Law in Panel Context

Research in Applied Economics ◽

10.5296/rae.v12i1.16665 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 33

Author(s):

Despina Tumanoska

Keyword(s):

Economic Growth ◽

Average Rate ◽

Youth Unemployment ◽

Labor Market Institutions ◽

Okun’S Law ◽

Unemployment Rates ◽

Okun's Law ◽

Eastern European Countries ◽

The Relationship ◽

The Eu

This paper investigates the relationship between economic growth and unemployment rates of total and youth population in panel context. The research is in context of Okun’s Law and includes two panels: 1) Panel composed of seven South Eastern European countries and 2) Panel composed of 14 EU members’ countries whose youth unemployment rate in 2017 was below the EU average rate. The econometric analysis of the paper is based on the Autoregression Distributed Lags Model, using data for the period 1991-2017. The results suggests that there is a statistically significant relationship between the economic growth and unemployment rates in both panels, whereas the relationship is stronger in the EU panel, while the adjustment of the unemployment rates to the changes in the economic growth is faster in the SEE panel. A part of this result can be explained by the more flexible labor market institutions in the developing countries, as those that are a part of the SEE panel.

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Is youth unemployment in EU countries structural?

Research in Social Change ◽

10.2478/rsc-2020-0010 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 80-105

Author(s):

Darka Podmenik ◽

Maruša Gorišek

Keyword(s):

Young People ◽

Youth Unemployment ◽

Structural Unemployment ◽

Unemployment Rates ◽

Eu Countries ◽

The Social ◽

Sociological View ◽

People’S Perceptions ◽

The Eu ◽

Work And Life

Abstract This paper’s main aim is to observe and confirm youth unemployment as a structural phenomenon in certain EU countries, including Slovenia. An innovative contribution is that it complements the prevailing economistic discourse with a sociological one. In the introduction, a brief history and overview of youth unemployment is presented. Slovenia is only briefly mentioned as having one of the relatively longest-lasting youth unemployment rates in the EU. In sections 2 and 3, approaches from economics and sociology are relied on while discussing three ‘types’ of EU countries with regard to different structural unemployment rates. From a sociological view, the longterm nature of youth unemployment is described, together with its impact on the social structure and (possible) socially destructive and economically destabilizing consequences. In section 4, analysis of “every-day life” indicators, namely, young people’s perceptions of work and life, reveals some surprising facts that depart from previous findings. In short: young people are more satisfied with their work and lives than older generations.

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Anti-immigrant Attitudes in the European Union: What Role for Values?

Filosofija Sociologija ◽

10.6001/fil-soc.v32i4.4615 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 32 (4) ◽

Author(s):

Vytenis Juozas Deimantas

Keyword(s):

European Union ◽

Personal Values ◽

Multilevel Modelling ◽

European Social Survey ◽

The European Union ◽

Individual Values ◽

Social Survey ◽

Unemployment Rates ◽

The Eu ◽

Modelling Approach

This paper aims to analyse the connection between values individuals hold and perception whether immigration is bad or good for economy in the European Union. It applies the multilevel modelling approach on the European Social Survey rounds 1–7 and a set of the OECD economic measures. The method allows for an examination of personal (values, socioecomic and demographic) and contextual (GDP, inequality and unemployment rates) drivers of anti-immigrant tendencies. The results show that individual values are connected to how people perceive immigrants in the EU.

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Have the European Funds been able to reduce the differences in the level of unemployment between the countries of the Euro area? A reflection on the past, present and future of European programs

10.48082/espacios-a20v41n50p19 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 41 (50) ◽

pp. 270-286

Author(s):

Miguel BLANCO ◽

◽

Mar MUÑOZ ◽

Julia RANCHAL ◽

◽

...

Keyword(s):

European Union ◽

Sustainable Development ◽

Maastricht Treaty ◽

Theil Index ◽

The European Union ◽

The Sustainable Development ◽

Unemployment Rates ◽

Eu Countries ◽

The Past ◽

The Eu

One of the fundamental objectives of the Maastricht Treaty is the sustainable development of the European Union (EU) countries. Since its entry into force, large investments have been approved to finance convergence programs. The aim of this article is to determine if the investments made to date have managed to reduce the differences in unemployment rates among the EU countries. The Theil index has been calculated on the unemployment figures of the countries of the Eurozone during the period 2008-2019.

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