Convergence and divergence of job quality in Europe 1995-2010 : a report based on the European Working Conditions Survey

This report examines the upward and downward trends in job quality across the EU from 1995 to 2010. The improvement and harmonisation of working conditions are core objectives of the European Union, but many factors affect job quality. The report determines the statistical significance of trends in key dimensions of job quality and maps the patterns of convergence and divergence. It offers an up-to-date analysis of changes in job quality across the EU, providing new insights to inform policy-making. The study concludes that dedicated political effort is still needed to improve job quality since this does not appear to be an automatic consequence of economic or technological development.