Quality in Work and Employment

By Anni Weiler

This statistical analysis and presentation of survey data follows the quality of work and employment matrix developed by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions in its paper Quality of Work and Employment in Europe: Issues and challenges . This model distinguishes four key dimensions for the promotion of quality of work and employment:

• ensuring career and employment security;

• maintaining and promoting the health and well-being of workers;

• developing skills and competences;

• reconciling working and non-working life.

The section on career and employment covers data on:

• changes in employment;

• activity status;

• transitions in the labour market;

• low wage employment;

• specific work situations;

• sectoral employment and knowledge intensity.

Maintaining and promoting the health and well-being of workers incorporates physical, mental and social

well-being. The focus here is on three main aspects:

• health problems and safety at work;

• risk exposure;

• work organisation.

Key aspects of the section on developing skills and competences are:

• training and employment performance;

• skills and access to training;

• participation in work-related training;

• training provided by the employer;

• working time spent on training;

• skills / job match;

• training and the information society.

Key aspects of the section on work-life balance include:

• time management;

• reconciliation of working and non-working life;

• part-time work.