(04 December 2014) – The European Commission and the World Bank have recently unveiled a report profiling the unemployed and inactive populations in six EU countries (Estonia, Lithuania, Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria and Greece).
“Portraits of Labor Market Exclusion” stems from a joint EC-World Bank project and relies on data from the European Union Statistics of Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC).
Against the backdrop of the economic crisis and recovery in countries of Europe, the analysis yields a number of insights across countries:
- In most countries, the number of middle-aged job losers has grown in absolute and relative terms.
- An increase in the size of the NEET (Not in Employment, Education or Training) population was also observed in many countries.
- Many retirees (below 64 years) and early retirees (in this report, below 60 years) are declaring themselves to be limited in their ability to work.
- Retired women and stay-at-home mothers can be identified as distinct categories in some countries but often show a declining trend in their numbers.
- Labour market participation differences and access to services between urban and rural living contexts can be distinguished as a defining feature in some countries.