The number of people on long-term disability benefits in Europe is rising and this group is particularly at risk of social exclusion. Although many of those away from work for a long period due to illness or injury would like to rejoin the workforce, very few actually do so in practice. This...

This report reviews the evidence to support the contention that increasing numbers of young people (16 - 34 years) are entering the disability benefits system. It attempts to place this evidence within the context of the many factors that are known to influence the economic activity and labour...

This report looks at the evolution of initiatives related to older employees undertaken by selected organisations (case studies) in Romania over the last decade. It reviews the following points: main impacts of measures/initiatives at the company level; driving forces for implementing good...

The main aim of the workshop was to examine the rise in the number of young people with disabilities. In many EU Member States, there is increasing policy concern about the growing numbers of young people who are entering long-term disability schemes. It appears that the nature of the illnesses...

The disability policy of the Irish Government has undergone radical change in the past decade, and is still changing. Underlying this transformation has been a change in philosophy towards mainstreaming in relation to all services for people with disabilities, especially in the fields of...

This report explores the growing role of the private sector in the provision of public services in the EU. The research is based on sector-specific case studies carried out in Lithuania, Spain, Sweden and the UK. It focuses specifically on social services of general interest (SSGIs) in the areas...

Many people in Europe do not receive the social benefits to which they are entitled. This is the case across countries and for many types of benefits. Addressing this ‘non-take-up’ of benefits is critical for two key reasons: benefits do not fulfil their objective if they do not reach the...

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...

This report summarises recent Eurofound research and data on working time and work–life balance issues. Its specific objective is to present findings relevant to the ongoing political debate in relation to the proposed revisions of the Working Time Directive (2003/88/EU). The report includes...

This case study focuses on the measures used by ArcelorMittal to cut costs and avoid involuntary redundancies during the crisis in its largest Romanian subsidiary. The study aims to assess the effectiveness of the various measures applied to keep staff in employment and to ensure the company’s...