Convergence and divergence of working conditions in Europe : 1990-2005

Quality of work and employment is a central element in the European Employment Strategy. This report examines whether EU Member States are converging or diverging with regard to working conditions and quality of work and employment. Taking as its point of departure the fourth European Working Conditions Survey which covered 31 countries, the report significantly draws on findings from the three previous surveys to compare trends across a fifteen-year time span. While the findings reveal a relative divergence in Europe with the joining of the new Member States in 2004 and 2007, the results confirm that the gap is closing and that in some of the older Member States there is evidence of disimprovements in some areas, such as prevalence of work intensity and reduced access to training. The report explores four main dimensions of job quality: career and employment security, health and well-being, skills development, and working time and work-life balance.