Indicators of labour markets and welfare states in the European Union

Abstract

This working paper provides an overview and basic descriptive analysis of key indicators of national labour markets and welfare states in the European Union (EU). The overview of labour market indicators uses standard variables and “off-the-shelf” data provided by Eurostat and the OECD. Our discussion of national welfare states draws on a range of indicators specifically coded for the REMINDER project and compiled into a new dataset called “Social Protection in Europe Database” (SPEUDA). The aim of the deliverable is to support two different work packages within the larger REMINDER research project by providing institutional and other indicators to be used in subsequent analyses. Work package 7 investigates the role of variations in formal and informal national institutions (specifically labour markets; welfare states; and normative attitudes to welfare, work, Europe, and immigration) in explaining divergent national policy positions among EU countries on reforming the current rules for the free movement of labour in the EU (see Ruhs and Palme 2018).2 Work Package 4 investigates the fiscal effects of EU mobility and the consequences of differences in national institutions (see Nyman and Ahlskog 2018).