On 21 March 2024, the Benchmarking Working Europe 2024 report, published by the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) and the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), was presented in Brussels as part of a joint event with AK EUROPA and the Austrian Trade Union Federation Brussels office. The report, which has been published annually since 2001, takes stock of the European economy, the labour market and social Europe.

In the last five years, significant steps have been taken towards a social Europe, such as the Minimum Wages Directive, the Platform Work Directive or the EUSupply Chain Act (CSDDD). In the face of multiple crises, the threat of austerity measures and a feared shift to the right in Europe, it is a challenge to maintain this social direction, as Bart Vanhercke, Scientific Director of the EGI, Judith Vorbach, Head of AK EUROPA and David Hafner, Head of the Austrian Trade Union Federation Brussels office, emphasised at the start of the event.

Macroeconomic policy
Sotiria Theodoropoulou (ETUI), co-author and co-editor of the report, described the macroeconomic implications and changing policy priorities in response to the crises of recent years. Although the decline in real GDP growth caused by the Covid-19 pandemic was greater than that caused by the 2008/09 financial crisis, the EU recovered more quickly from the pandemic due to the economic recovery measures that were taken. Afterwards, however, the social situation worsened again due to inflation, which peaked in October 2022. Theodoropoulou also addressed the planned reform of the EU's economic governance. While there are improvements on certain aspects compared to the old rules, the reform in general is disappointing, due to the risk of cuts in the social sector. In contrast, she assessed the Social Convergence Framework in the European Semester as positive.

Qualitative jobs
In the green and digital transformation, attention must be paid to the quality of jobs, emphasised Agnieszka Piasna (ETUI), also co-author and co-editor of the report. Green and digital jobs would not always lead to improved working conditions. Working people are under increased pressure; further training can have a negative impact on health in some cases, as well. Political decision makers and employers are called upon to act; employees must not be held solely responsible for their health and safety in the workplace.

An eco-social Europe that leaves no one behind
Agnieszka Piasna and co-author Wouter Zwysen (ETUI) reported on inequalities between men and women as well as younger and older workers, and furthermore on regional and sectoral divergences in the labour market. Jobs in industry and agriculture have declined, particularly in southern Europe, while many jobs have been created in the data-driven economy. According to co-author Bela Galgoczi (ETUI), an integrative approach that combines social, ecological and economic measures is needed for an eco-social Europe that leaves no one behind.  Due to the expiry of the Recovery and Resilience Facility, there is a risk that the just transition will lack funding or will have to compete with investments in the defence industry.

Social investments
During the event, several references were made to the current debate on social investment and the so-called "Jumbo Council" of 12 March 2024. For the first time since 1998, the employment and social affairs ministers met together with the economics and finance ministers. Spending in areas such as education, lifelong learning, equality and access to the labour market for people with disabilities ultimately also promotes economic prosperity. However, as there is currently no systematic method for measuring the economic impact of social investments, they are merely taken into account as costs. Whether this will change in the future is currently the subject of debate.

Political panel discussion
In the political discussion on the report, Stefan Olsson, Deputy Director-General of the EU Commission's Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (DG EMPL), stressed that significant steps have been taken in the current legislative period with the Action Plan on the European Pillar of Social Rights. However, he pointed out that the EU is still far from achieving its goal of combating poverty in a sustainable way.

Oliver Röpke, President of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), emphasised that the EESC has contributed to many important legislative projects of the past legislative period with its exploratory opinions.

Isabelle Schömann, Deputy General Secretary of the ETUC, looked back on twenty years of EU enlargement and noted that progress has been made in the area of social Europe, particularly in the last legislative period. However, the social dimension needs to be taken further. ETUC has therefore adopted a manifesto for the elections to the EU Parliament with a vision for a strong social Europe.

Further information:
ETUI: Benchmarking Working Europe Report 2024
AK EUROPA: The ongoing quest for Social Europe. Launch of the ETUI/ETUC Benchmarking Working Europe 2024 report
AK EUROPA: Benchmarking Working Europe 2023 - EU should focus on social transition to overcome the multiple crises
AK EUROPA: Putting the European Pillar of Social Rights into practice
AK EUROPA: The EU's new economic governance is disappointing
AK EUROPA: Comprehensive social investment - The key to a feminist and progressive Europe!
ETUC: Delivering a fair Deal for Workers – Manifesto for the 2024 European Parliament Elections