Trends in European workers mobility

The EU offers job flexibility and the freedom to travel within its boundaries. That is the view of the majority of Europeans, according to a new Eurobarometer survey on geographical and job mobility.

The percentage of people living abroad however remains low and findings reveal that mobility is perceived differently among the Member States. In Denmark and Sweden, where the level is highest, respondents firmly believe in the benefits of job mobility. In Belgium, Germany, Estonia and Greece however, more than two thirds of the population showed their scepticism. 

When looking at Europe's job market, Employment and Social Affairs Commissioner Vladimír Špidla noted "the emergence of a dual labour market with a small, highly mobile group of workers in contrast to a static majority." He remarked on the "little or no ‘mobility culture' amongst most of the European workforce, which leads to one of the paradoxes of the EU labour markets, namely that in the EU work has become mobile while many workers have not". 

Mobility can be considered from two different angles: geographical and job-related.

Geographical mobility

Although it is difficult to get an overall picture of geographical mobility, certain trends are apparent. On the whole, the figures are low: less than 2% of Europeans live and work in another Member State. This figure does not include the large numbers of seasonal workers in agricultural and service sectors, nor the over half a million cross-border commuters.

Over the past 30 years, this percentage has undergone no significant changes. Mobility would only appear to be on the increase for short-term contracts, the construction industry and high-skilled workers.

Among those who change their place of residence every year (7.2 %), only 15% do so to change jobs. Citizens moving for professional reasons tend to come from rural areas to settle in capitals or other big cities. The two main destinations for people looking for work are Germany, for manual labour, and the UK which remains the favourite destination for those in finance, insurance and real estate.

Job-to-job mobility

It was unusual for more than 10% of workers in any given EU country to change employer over the last year, according to Eurostat. Regarding duration of employment, on average 38% of the working population has been with the same employer for over ten years.

Moreover, job changes seem to take place mainly at the beginning of a person's career. The mobility rates are higher among young people.

Unleashing the potential of the EU labour market

Workers' mobility, whether geographical or professional, is good for Europe. In line with the objectives of the Growth and Jobs Strategy, it helps to provide more and better jobs and to boost the economy: in a job market situation where millions of vacancies and shortages in many sectors coexist with high unemployment rates, it is essential to stimulate mobility in order to fill in these gaps.

Moreover, mobility is good for the workers themselves. It increases their chances of finding a job that matches their profile, provides them with opportunities to acquire new qualifications and skills and enables them to gain the experience of working with people from different cultures, which is an asset in today's business environment.

Considering the numerous benefits of mobility, it may seem surprising that workers' mobility throughout Europe is relatively limited. The benefits still seem to be overshadowed by the obstacles that prevent mobility from reaching its full potential.

What are the obstacles that keep Europeans from searching for a job abroad? Of course, there are legal and administrative difficulties to be overcome. However, practical issues and psychological barriers play a more important role: matters like housing, schooling, the employment Love and wellbeing are cited as the main factors prompting Europeans to change contry. Of all the migrant Europeans, a third move to be with their partner or family and a quarter to find a better quality of life. Only 0.5% of those living in a country other than their own move because of employment alone.

The high standard of living in Spain and France attracts a large number of retired people, who tend to move from big cities and settle in rural areas. Young people tend to move to the UK and Germany for work or study reasons. The main factor for people moving to Italy is being with a partner or family.

The average migrant within the EU is middle-class, skilled and well-educated with a positive attitude to the EU. In most cases, feeling European is perfectly compatible with attachment to both the country of origin and the country of residence.

situation of spouses/partners, language differences or the return issue – the fear of not being able to reintegrate into the labour market in the home country – often determine the decision to stay.

In many cases, the main problem is the lack of information. Europeans are still not aware of the opportunities the Internal Market offers, and of the work that has been accomplished to facilitate the free movement of workers.

The EU has a decisive role to play in overcoming these obstacles. It has already come a long way in reducing the administrative burden: from the recognition of professional qualifications to the coordination of social security schemes, it has done a lot to improve the access to the labour market of other Member States.

In the framework of the European Year of Workers' Mobility (EYWM), the Commission is now focusing on awareness-raising activities. Through the creation of partnerships and networks and the implementation of an intensive information campaign, it hopes to lay the foundation for a European ‘mobility culture' that will eventually allow for workers' mobility to be considered as a natural part of a career.

The strong response EYWM actions received so far indicates that this objective is not out of reach.

2006 Mobility Awards – prizes for innovative projects and creative ideas

Are you working on a project to improve labour market mobility throughout the EU and wish to promote it? If so, then apply for the European Workers' Mobility Awards 2006. This competition will reward an institution/organisation, business or individual, with up to three prizes per category.

Prizes will be awarded to those who have contributed in a significant way to mobility, either through a successful project undertaken in 2006 or through a creative idea that has the potential of boosting workers' mobility.

By organising this competition, the Commission hopes to find new ways of promoting the mobility of workers in the EU and of raising public interest. The winning projects will be promoted via the European Year of Workers' Mobility website, Eures and the media.

Applications should be submitted before 15 October 2006.
To apply, please fill in the online application form.

Free movement of workers: the EU 15 gradually open up their borders

Restrictions to the free circulation of workers from central and eastern Europe are gradually being lifted. While the UK, Ireland and Sweden opened up their job markets as early as 2004, it wasn't until recently (30 April) that Spain, Portugal, Finland and Greece followed suit. The move represented a fitting way to pay tribute to the second anniversary of the EU 25.

Doubts still remain however. France, Luxembourg, Belgium and Italy seem more reserved and have opted for a gradual softening of restrictions. For the sectors in which labour needs are fierce, France, Luxembourg and Belgium have eased up on their restrictions. In Italy, the quota for foreign workers was raised to 170,000.

As for the rest of the EU 15: the Netherlands has extended the deadline to the end of 2006 at the earliest; Germany and Austria are keeping the restrictions in place; and, Denmark is phasing out its restrictions over a period of three years.

The Commission welcomed Member States' efforts to ease restrictions and Employment Commissioner Vladimír Špidla reaffirmed his belief that openness will not only lower unemployment rates, but also reinvigorate the economies of 'old Europe'.

First European Job Fair will show job seekers the way

More than 200 European towns and cities will participate in the first European Job Fair that is to take place on 29-30 September 2006 in all Member States. The event will go beyond a job fair in the usual sense: in addition to the traditional information stands, a broad range of activities will be organised with the aim of developing a better knowledge of mobility opportunities within the EU.

The activities range from conferences, open days and workshops to meetings between employers and job seekers. Large-scale fairs will take place in Leipzig, Helsinki, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Poznan and Marseille, to name a few.

‘Euro villages' will be organised in eight Irish regions, while ‘job days' are planned in 15 cities in the Czech Republic; in Liege, Belgium, the public is invited to a mobility theatre evening, and in Nicosia, Cyprus, the results of a study identifying obstacles to job mobility in Cyprus will be presented. In addition to these events, a mobility bus will be touring nine EU countries between 22 September and 17 October.

As Vladimír Špidla, European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, pointed out, the European Year of Workers' Mobility aims to increase people's awareness of the rights and opportunities for workers interested in changing jobs or moving abroad, and to offer a forum where ideas and good practice can be exchanged.

The job fairs are an excellent means of promoting these objectives, enabling the direct exchange and participation of all interested parties – institutions, employers, job seekers, etc. Eures, the European Employment Services, plays an important role in this context: the network proved useful in building up partnerships and liaising with stakeholders in situ.

With the overwhelming success of the job fair idea having exceeded all expectations, organisers are planning to introduce a yearly European job day in September from 2007.

A detailed programme of the scheduled events is available on the EYWM website.

EURES job portal – millions of opportunities

With over one million job vacancies and over 100,000 CVs online, the European Job Mobility Portal Eures is a hot tip for all those who are looking for a job. It is free of charge and enables candidates to post their CV and search for job vacancies, while employers can advertise jobs or look for suitable candidates by consulting the CVs. Moreover, the portal offers comprehensive and up-to-date information on living and working conditions in Europe in all EU languages.

The site publishes all situations vacant as advertised by public employment services throughout the EU. Its success speaks for itself: the site currently attracts one million visitors per month. In a few months time, it has become the European Commission's most visited site. Since its launch in February 2006, the Eures portal has developed into a real stepping stone to workers' mobility.

Eures users should also pay a visit to the Europass website where they can download a number of documents enabling them to ensure their skills and abilities are recognised in other European countries: a CV template, a language passport, a diploma supplement and a certificate supplement, and the Europass Mobility, which is a record of experience gained abroad.

The three basic services Eures offers are information, guidance and placement. The new portal was launched with the objective of helping workers and employers to benefit from the principle of the free movement of persons.

In addition to the portal site, Eures has built up a Europe-wide network of advisers who provide direct assistance to mobile workers. There are now 750 advisers, and the number is growing. They work in cooperation with the Public Employment Service of the Member States. The advisers are trained specialists with expertise in practical, legal and administrative matters relating to mobility at national and cross-border levels.

A specific need for Eures advice arises in cross-border regions where many people live and work in two different countries. In many such regions, cross-border Eures partnerships have been established that serve as points of contact for workers experiencing administrative problems.

Preparing the future: students' mobility

Creating a culture of mobility in Europe cannot be achieved without a change in mentality. Higher mobility rates among young workers indicate that this change is already underway. Why do the younger workers of today find it easier to be mobile?

One answer is that in many sectors, the ground for worker mobility has already been prepared by student mobility. In the field of education, a culture of mobility has already partly been achieved.

1976-2006: 30 years of European cooperation in education

Thirty years ago the European Union integrated education and training, thus opening the way for cooperation programmes such as Erasmus and later Comenius.

Cooperation in education is today, more than ever, a firm reality. Every year, pupils, students and teachers from all over Europe as well as all over the world take part in European projects and contribute to keeping the ‘freedom-of-movement' concept alive. This freedom is, predominately, a freedom of mutual enrichment.

The European Commission, through its Commissioner for Education and Training Ján Figel', welcomed the success of this cooperation. "All of those who for thirty years have been working at all levels to help achieve and further this cooperation have each day demonstrated its validity and its role in deepening Community integration and in bringing the peoples of Europe closer together".

Erasmus celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2007

In a few months time, the Erasmus programme for student mobility will celebrate its twentieth year in existence and the success it has achieved. Since 1987, thanks to this programme, almost 1.5 million academics (students and teachers combined) have studied or taught abroad.

In 2006 alone, no less than 170,000 will have tried the Erasmus experience in over 3,500 universities (nearly 9 out of 10) and spanning 31 countries. When it was launched by the European Commission this programme concerned only 3,000 students.

Interviewed on the subject, Ján Figel' was positive about the programme's impact: "the hundreds of thousands of students who have benefited from the scheme since 1987 form a growing body of highly educated Europeans with cross-cultural and multi-lingual experience, essential requirements for the dynamic, knowledge-based European Union of the future".

In order to maintain the current level of growth, the EU will allocate an additional €800 million to education programmes for the period 2007-2013. This will enable 210,000 students to take part in the programme each year, some 40,000 more than normal.

Erasmus Mundus: student passport to the world

Launched in January 2004 to strengthen cooperation with third countries in the field of higher education, Erasmus Mundus has proven so popular that it has had to be expanded to keep up with demand for 2006-2007.

This global scheme has a distinctly European flavour and provides a unique opportunity to explore the higher education systems of other countries.

With Erasmus Mundus, Europe's universities are encouraged to get together to attract leading talent from around the globe, with obvious benefits to their level of excellence".

We don't need many figures to show just how successful the programme is. Since 2004, the 57 Erasmus Mundus Masters courses received almost 6,000 applications for scholarships from students and scholars from all over the world. In all, for the academic year 2006-2007, the European Commission selected 1,377 students and 231 scholars for a total budget of €54.5 millions.

The demand in Asian countries such as China and India is particularly high. To cover this demand, additional funds were injected into the Erasmus Mundus programme, known as "Asian Windows". This funding will permit nearly 700 additional students and scholars to take part in this venture at the start of the new academic year.

Comenius: European mobility at all ages

From nursery to secondary school: there is no age limit to learning about multicultural Europe. This is the idea behind Comenius, the European cooperation programme in the field of school education.

Since its creation in 1995, more than 11,000 a year have taken part. It has given 850,000 teachers, students and pupils the opportunity to participate in all sorts of educational and linguistic projects all over Europe (31 countries).

The usefulness of this programme is recognised by everybody and, particularly, by Ján Figel' himself. "Projects such as this one are central in the action we lead to guarantee a high quality school education all over the Union."

The adoption of the European budget for 2007-2013 dispelled concerns about the future of the programme. Both the Erasmus and Comenius programmes will make full use of the sums allocated.

Any questions ?

Handy tips for mobile workers

Have you found a job in another EU country? Here is some information that might be helpful when crossing internal borders of the Union.

Information relays

First and foremost, you need to know where to get information. To help EU citizens find their way through the labyrinth of administrative procedures, the EU has set up several information networks. A quick overview:

• EUROPE DIRECT: this service provides answers to all kinds of questions about the EU. It is available via phone, e-mail or via the ‘Web Assistance Service'. You can also pay a visit to one of the 400+ information relays throughout the Union.
• Citizens Signpost Service: the signpost service employs legal experts who give guidance and practical advice to citizens who encounter problems with mobility in the Internal Market and direct them towards the body which can best help solve the problem.
• Eures adviser network: Eures advisers assist citizens working in another EU country and facing administrative problems. They are present in all Member States.
• Your Europe: this web portal offers a wealth of information in relation to workers' mobility. The navigation guides the user to the information or the service that best suits their needs.

European health insurance card

Thanks to the European health insurance card, access to healthcare in another EU country has become much easier. This card replaces the previously used forms E111, E111B, E110, E128 and E119. Holders of this card can benefit from a simplified procedure for receiving medical assistance during a temporary stay.

The card is identical and has the same technical characteristics in each Member State, thus ensuring its immediate recognition by healthcare providers. Treatment is provided in accordance with the rules of the Member State in which you are staying, and the costs incurred are reimbursed in line with the tariffs applied in that country.

Portability of pensions

The Commission recently proposed a directive that will enable workers to keep their supplementary pension rights when they change jobs or move to another EU country. As the importance of supplementary pension schemes in the social protection of workers is increasing, this so-called portability of pensions has become essential in ensuring that workers in the EU become more mobile.

The Commission wants to reduce the obstacles associated with the conditions for acquisition and preservation of pension rights, while at the same time improving the transferability of acquired rights and the information given to workers on how mobility may affect supplementary pension rights. The proposal is currently passing through the legislative process.

Mobile roaming

Are you working abroad for a short-term period, or living and working in two different countries, or travelling frequently between your home country and the country you are working in? Then you have probably more than once had to pay expensive phone bills due to the high cost of mobile roaming. These costs may soon drop significantly.

If the regulation proposed by the Commission on 12 July is approved by the Council and the Parliament, the cost of using a mobile phone in another EU Member State will be reduced by up to 70%.

For more practical advice, pay a visit to the Travelling in Europe website.

What's next?

The conclusion of the European Year of Workers' Mobility (EYWM) will not mark an end to the steady efforts made in the past few years by the Commission regarding workers' mobility. The agenda of the Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities Directorate-General will continue to focus on this theme even after 2006:

1. The Commission will introduce a "European Job Day" to be celebrated in September every year;
2. On the basis of the lessons learned and achievements made in the framework of the EYWM, the Commission will set new guidelines and put emphasis on the importance of mobility. These policy documents will be presented in time for the Spring Council in 2007.

To find out about key events organised during the European Year of Workers' Mobility, check out the agenda.