Transcript Free movement of labour in EU – myth or reality?

Free movement of labour
in EU – myth or reality?
Contribution to the preparation of lecture series at
Centre for European Studies, Chulalongkorn
University, Thailand
H.E. Ambassador Friedrich Hamburger,
Delegation of the European Commission to Thailand
1
What is mobility and why is it
important?




EU context: the free movement of workers
To move freely within the European Economic Area
(EEA) for work purposes is a basic right for European
citizens
Mobility forms part of the 4 freedoms contained in the
Treaty of Rome: free movement of goods,of services
and establishment, of persons (citizenship and labour),
and of capital.
Mobility is crucial to increase Europe’s competitiveness
and growth, and to tackle unemployment.
Ex.: 59% of those who move while unemployed actually find a job within a year
as opposed to 35% of those remaining in their country (Source:
Eurobarometer)
2
Mobility in Europe
•
•
•
•
•
Only 2% of EU working age population lives in a
country other than their own. 0,1% per year move to
another EU country.
Workers in the EU stay in the same job for an
average of 10,6 years (US: 6,7 years), and only
16.4% have been with their employer for less than a
year (US: 30%).
Yearly job-to job mobility 8,2% on average (Denmark,
UK 13% - Sweden, Greece 5%)
7,2% of the citizens change their place of residence
(US: 16,2%) per year – 15-17% of them for job
reasons
600.000 (0,2% of working age population) are crossborder commuters
3
Mobility after the EU enlargement:

Geographic mobility is still a relatively limited
phenomenon in Europe: no evidence of significant
replacement of national workers (complementarity)
and no visible signs of “welfare tourism“

Mobility Flows are measured by work permit/
registration data

Positive effects on the economies of the receiving
countries (main flow to Ireland, UK, Germany,
Austria)

Sending countries: Brain drain a concern for some
countries – but how permanent?
4
Mobility Profile:

Who are the movers?
- EU-15: young (but rising share of mobile above 34),
single without kids, highly educated and working in
skilled and high-skilled occupations
- EU-10: younger than EU-15 mobile, without kids (but
more likely to be married), medium education, but
many work in low-skill jobs
 Why do people move?
- Socio-economic reasons: Because they must (’new’
member states)
- ’Lifestyle’ factors: Because they want - better career
opportunities, curiosity (’old’ member states)
5
Mobility Issues
Key issue: Demographic changes and Economic
migration
- in 2030 Europe can expect a lack of 20 - 30
million workers, thus increasing demand for
third country workers
Present and future obstacles for mobility:
 Legal and adminstrative obstacles
 Practical obstacles
 Linguistic and socio-cultural obstacles
 Lack of information
6
EU: The Lisbon Strategy

-
Background of the strategy:
2-3 million jobs are vacant while the rate of
unemployment is around 8% (17% for the youth)
EU needs to be competitive in terms of GDP per capita,
employment and productivity rates
Facing up demographic change and global economic
integration, and enlargement
Need for coordinated action at EU level (governance)
→ need for a new overall economic and social policy
agenda:
- Launch of the Lisbon Strategy (March 2000) for growth
and jobs
- aims to make Europe “the most competitive and dynamic
knowledge-based economy in the world”
7
What does the European Commission do
to promote mobility ?





Action plan for Skills and Mobility 2002-2005
European Year of Workers’ Mobility 2006 – information,
exchange of good practices, studies and surveys.
New Action plan on mobility
Coordination of social security schemes
Transfer of pension rights
 European
Employment Services
(EURES)
8
EURES(1)
Background
One-stop European Mobility Information site to provide
comprehensive and easily accessible information to
citizens on key aspects of jobs, mobility, learning
opportunities and transparency of qualifications in
Europe
What is EURES?
A network of organisations established in 1993 that works
in the field of employment, and operates in 31 countries
(EEA + Switzerland). Main purpose is to support the
mobility of workers at trans-national & cross-border level
9
EURES (2)
Partners:
 National level (Public Employment Services of the
EEA and other similar organisations
 Cross-border level (Local Public Employment
Services; Social Partners such as trade unions,
employers’ organisations, etc.; Other relevant
organisations such as regional and local
administrations, universities, etc.)
Mobility Facilitation:
 By providing information and advice on different
aspects of mobility
 By monitoring the labour markets in cross-border
areas
 By networking between the public employment
services in the EEA
10
Conclusion: What prospects for
mobility in the EU?
To leave one’s home country for an interesting
job opportunity is still the exception to the rule
in Europe
 No real ’mobility culture’ among European
workers
 Awareness-raising and mainstreaming are
important tools to instill a mobility culture, in
addition to legal and administrative measures
 Mobility is not only about crossing
geographical borders, but also the mental
ones

11
Thank you for your attention!
Relevant links:

EURES
http://eures.europa.eu

Employment analysis (DG Employment)
http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/employment_analysis/index_
en.htm

Employment in Europe 2006 report
http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/employment_analysis/employ
_2006_en.htm
12