Page 170 - ePaper
P. 170
Employment and Social Developments in Europe 2014
support workplace innovation aimed at The crisis has seen the The greening of the economy through
improving staff motivation and work- deterioration of some recycling and reusing, together with the
ing conditions with a view to enhanc- dimensions of job quality call for energy efficiency and biotechnol -
ing the EU’s innovation capability, labour and in work organisation ogy, is generating new production pro-
productivity and organisational perfor- cesses, new products and new markets.
mance. In 2013, the Employment Com- The crisis may have led to the dete- This has the potential to generate new
mittee Indicators Group agreed upon a rioration of some of the job quality jobs at all levels of skills. As such, struc-
four-dimensional concept of job quality dimensions in several or most EU Mem- tural changes can generate jobs, increase
reflecting the complexity of the concept ber States. For example, participation in motivation and effort and therefore pro -
of job quality (1. socioeconomic secu- life-long learning went down in recent ductivity growth.
rity, 2. education and training, 3. working years in about one third of the Mem-
conditions, and 4. work-life and gender ber States. In recent years, there has … but also pose important
balance). been a downward trend from Learning challenges such
to Lean forms of work organisation. as polarisation …
-
The level of earnings, job security, the Learning work organisations repre
level of education and access to life-long sent the newer type of work organisa- Technology change, globalisation, demo -
training, a safe and healthy workplace, tion that have the potential to foster graphic ageing and the greening of
an appropriate balance between work intrinsic motivation, support job qual- economy can have significant negative
intensity and job autonomy, employee ity including workers’ involvement and implications. Technology change may
participation and empowerment and an skill development and use, and there- render an important share of tasks and
adequate balance between work and fore improve companies’ performance. jobs obsolete at a high speed. Globalisa -
private and social responsibilities, are tion requires specific skills to act in inter -
all job quality dimensions that can fos- … while ongoing structural national environments (e.g. languages
ter commitment, motivation and higher changes bring along and ICT) which some workers lack. It may
effort and reduce absenteeism with a opportunities for job creation also lead to task relocation, notably of
direct impact on labour productivity and and productivity growth … low-skilled routine tasks (or lower wages
labour market resilience. as a result of the threat of relocation).
Further innovations in ICT and KETs Green jobs may bring along new and
Some Member States, such as Italy, broaden the scope for job creation in unknown health and safety risks. The
Spain, Greece, Cyprus or Portugal have industrial activities which are often combination of technology change and
a higher share of involuntary temporary associated with jobs of high quality globalisation emphasises the impor-
contracts and lower transition rates to and value added and therefore earn- tance of knowledge and creativity and
permanent employment compared to ings. Technology change allows for the need to adjust quickly to new and
Austria, Germany or the Netherlands. more flexible working arrangements complex tasks, skills that some groups
Denmark, Sweden and Finland have and has the potential to mitigate some of workers lack. Therefore, low to middle
high participation rates in life-long physical or psychosocial barriers which skills may see stronger job insecurity or
learning of more than 50 % or 60 %, reduce the labour market participa- a worsening of their job quality: longer
while Greece, Spain, Italy, Romania and tion of certain groups such as older working hours and higher occupational
Bulgaria have participation rates that workers, workers with disabilities and risks but lower wages.
are half or less than half of the Nor- those with family responsibilities and
dic ones. High work intensity and low entice them to remain in the workplace. Therefore, in the absence of policy action,
autonomy leads to high levels of stress Technology is also likely to change the the gains in job quality from ongoing
in Germany and Austria, for example. job landscape of the future by putting structural changes may be distributed
Inactivity rates due to family respon- a premium on creative and knowledge in a non-equitable way, generating
sibilities are higher in Ireland and the occupations and allowing for greater polarisation and in turn adverse feed-
United Kingdom where the availability autonomy, responsibility and flexibility back on productivity and labour mar-
of child care facilities is low and/or in the workplace. ket participation.
costs are high.
Globalisation also has the potential …calling for adequate policy
In addition, strong differences in job to create new quality jobs reinforc responses to improve job
-
quality across population groups per- ing overall productivity growth and quality and ensure a more
sist, especially across skills level, gen- earnings potential. Expanding global equal distribution of the
der and age. Such heterogeneity in job value chains can allow further task benefit potential associated
quality may not only have an adverse specialisation and higher mobility, with structural changes…
impact on social cohesion, but it may giving workers a larger choice of jobs
also have a negative feedback on the and the opportunity to perform those The analysis suggests that in addition
overall performance of the labour tasks that best fit their abilities and to correcting the current unfavourable
force. For example, persistent gender preferences. The restructuring of global developments, policy makers will have
stereotyping in certain types of work chains combined with technology may to gear up to the opportunities and face
continues to prevent an optimal labour benefit the resource-poor, skills-rich up to the challenges posed by ongo-
allocation while at the same time European Union, as its skills structure ing structural changes in technology,
reducing job and earnings opportunities may have a comparative advantage in international trade and foreign direct
of a significant part of the labour force. world markets. investment, demographic change and
168
support workplace innovation aimed at The crisis has seen the The greening of the economy through
improving staff motivation and work- deterioration of some recycling and reusing, together with the
ing conditions with a view to enhanc- dimensions of job quality call for energy efficiency and biotechnol -
ing the EU’s innovation capability, labour and in work organisation ogy, is generating new production pro-
productivity and organisational perfor- cesses, new products and new markets.
mance. In 2013, the Employment Com- The crisis may have led to the dete- This has the potential to generate new
mittee Indicators Group agreed upon a rioration of some of the job quality jobs at all levels of skills. As such, struc-
four-dimensional concept of job quality dimensions in several or most EU Mem- tural changes can generate jobs, increase
reflecting the complexity of the concept ber States. For example, participation in motivation and effort and therefore pro -
of job quality (1. socioeconomic secu- life-long learning went down in recent ductivity growth.
rity, 2. education and training, 3. working years in about one third of the Mem-
conditions, and 4. work-life and gender ber States. In recent years, there has … but also pose important
balance). been a downward trend from Learning challenges such
to Lean forms of work organisation. as polarisation …
-
The level of earnings, job security, the Learning work organisations repre
level of education and access to life-long sent the newer type of work organisa- Technology change, globalisation, demo -
training, a safe and healthy workplace, tion that have the potential to foster graphic ageing and the greening of
an appropriate balance between work intrinsic motivation, support job qual- economy can have significant negative
intensity and job autonomy, employee ity including workers’ involvement and implications. Technology change may
participation and empowerment and an skill development and use, and there- render an important share of tasks and
adequate balance between work and fore improve companies’ performance. jobs obsolete at a high speed. Globalisa -
private and social responsibilities, are tion requires specific skills to act in inter -
all job quality dimensions that can fos- … while ongoing structural national environments (e.g. languages
ter commitment, motivation and higher changes bring along and ICT) which some workers lack. It may
effort and reduce absenteeism with a opportunities for job creation also lead to task relocation, notably of
direct impact on labour productivity and and productivity growth … low-skilled routine tasks (or lower wages
labour market resilience. as a result of the threat of relocation).
Further innovations in ICT and KETs Green jobs may bring along new and
Some Member States, such as Italy, broaden the scope for job creation in unknown health and safety risks. The
Spain, Greece, Cyprus or Portugal have industrial activities which are often combination of technology change and
a higher share of involuntary temporary associated with jobs of high quality globalisation emphasises the impor-
contracts and lower transition rates to and value added and therefore earn- tance of knowledge and creativity and
permanent employment compared to ings. Technology change allows for the need to adjust quickly to new and
Austria, Germany or the Netherlands. more flexible working arrangements complex tasks, skills that some groups
Denmark, Sweden and Finland have and has the potential to mitigate some of workers lack. Therefore, low to middle
high participation rates in life-long physical or psychosocial barriers which skills may see stronger job insecurity or
learning of more than 50 % or 60 %, reduce the labour market participa- a worsening of their job quality: longer
while Greece, Spain, Italy, Romania and tion of certain groups such as older working hours and higher occupational
Bulgaria have participation rates that workers, workers with disabilities and risks but lower wages.
are half or less than half of the Nor- those with family responsibilities and
dic ones. High work intensity and low entice them to remain in the workplace. Therefore, in the absence of policy action,
autonomy leads to high levels of stress Technology is also likely to change the the gains in job quality from ongoing
in Germany and Austria, for example. job landscape of the future by putting structural changes may be distributed
Inactivity rates due to family respon- a premium on creative and knowledge in a non-equitable way, generating
sibilities are higher in Ireland and the occupations and allowing for greater polarisation and in turn adverse feed-
United Kingdom where the availability autonomy, responsibility and flexibility back on productivity and labour mar-
of child care facilities is low and/or in the workplace. ket participation.
costs are high.
Globalisation also has the potential …calling for adequate policy
In addition, strong differences in job to create new quality jobs reinforc responses to improve job
-
quality across population groups per- ing overall productivity growth and quality and ensure a more
sist, especially across skills level, gen- earnings potential. Expanding global equal distribution of the
der and age. Such heterogeneity in job value chains can allow further task benefit potential associated
quality may not only have an adverse specialisation and higher mobility, with structural changes…
impact on social cohesion, but it may giving workers a larger choice of jobs
also have a negative feedback on the and the opportunity to perform those The analysis suggests that in addition
overall performance of the labour tasks that best fit their abilities and to correcting the current unfavourable
force. For example, persistent gender preferences. The restructuring of global developments, policy makers will have
stereotyping in certain types of work chains combined with technology may to gear up to the opportunities and face
continues to prevent an optimal labour benefit the resource-poor, skills-rich up to the challenges posed by ongo-
allocation while at the same time European Union, as its skills structure ing structural changes in technology,
reducing job and earnings opportunities may have a comparative advantage in international trade and foreign direct
of a significant part of the labour force. world markets. investment, demographic change and
168
