An article examined the 'one-stop shop' for social welfare provision in three European countries (including the United Kingdom).
Source: Jostein Askim, Anne Lise Fimreite, Alice Moseley, and Lene Holm Pedersen, 'One-stop shops for social welfare: the adaptation of an organizational form in three countries', Public Administration, Volume 89 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Dec
A new 18-country version was released of a tax-benefit micro-simulation model for the European Union.
Source: Press release 19 December 2011, Institute for Social and Economic Research (University of Essex)
Links: ISER press release
Date: 2011-Dec
A paper examined the trade union response to the European Commission consultation on the European Union 2020 strategy. It highlighted growing disenchantment with the strategy, as the neoliberal implications of European integration became 'increasingly unencumbered by any pretence at a social dimension'.
Source: Richard Hyman, Trade Unions, Lisbon and Europe 2020: From dream to nightmare, LEQS Paper 45/2011, London School of Economics
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Dec
A report examined which developed (OECD) countries deliberately attempted to reproduce social stratification through educational policies, and which countries put greater emphasis on intervening in the stratification process. It challenged a 'one-policy-fits-all approach' that advocated education policy reforms designed to increase equal opportunities in education. The context of each country needed to be considered before the implementation of such policies.
Source: Miroslav Beblavy, Anna-Elisabeth Thum, and Marcela Veselkova, Education Policy and Welfare Regimes in OECD Countries: Social stratification and equal opportunity in education, Working Document 357, Centre for European Policy Studies (Brussels)
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Dec
Researchers examined the distributional effects of the measures that had been introduced following the 2007-08 financial crisis and subsequent economic downturn (up to mid-2011) in six European countries (including the United Kingdom).
Source: Tim Callan, Chrysa Leventi, Horacio levy, Manos Matsaganis, Alari Paulus, and Holly Sutherland, The Distributional Effects of Austerity Measures: A comparison of six EU countries, Research Note 2/2011, Social Situation Observatory (European Commission)
Links: Report | ISER press release
Date: 2011-Dec
A report examined the first year of implementation of the Europe 2020 strategy for socially inclusive growth. The focus by governments on cutting social security benefits and services, wage reductions, and increases in tax would disproportionately affect the poorest groups in society – leading to further exclusion of people who already found themselves on the margins of society. The macro-economic approach underpinning the strategy failed to recognize the interdependence of economic development, social development, and environmental protection. There also needed to be better participatory structures in regard to the development of the National Reform programmes, and adequate time should be allocated for stakeholders to respond to and participate in debates.
Source: Europe 2020: Shadow Report, Caritas Europa
Links: Report | Caritas press release
Date: 2011-Dec
The European Commission published its first annual review of employment and social developments in Europe. The economic crisis had aggravated Europe's structural weaknesses, such as income inequality and the disappearance of medium-paid jobs. Poverty remained high, with 115 million Europeans (23 per cent of the EU population) at risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2010. A mix of employment and social policies was necessary to ensure a long-term job-rich recovery in the existing climate of fiscal consolidation and bleak economic outlook.
Source: Employment and Social Developments in Europe 2011, European Commission
Links: Report | European Commission press release
Date: 2011-Dec
An article examined the variation across European Union countries in the prevalence of household joblessness, its impact on income poverty and deprivation, and the implications for the new EU poverty reduction target. In most countries little more than one-half of the working-age adults in jobless households were either income-poor or deprived, so including joblessness in the poverty reduction target did make a difference, without a clearly articulated rationale.
Source: Marloes de Graaf-Zijl and Brian Nolan, 'Household joblessness and its impact on poverty and deprivation in Europe', Journal of European Social Policy, Volume 21 Number 5
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Dec
An article examined the extent to which increased ethnic heterogeneity in European countries would reduce public support for welfare policy (following the experience in the United States of America), based on survey data from the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Denmark.
Source: Christian Albrekt Larsen, 'Ethnic heterogeneity and public support for welfare: is the American experience replicated in Britain, Sweden and Denmark?', Scandinavian Political Studies, Volume 34 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Dec
A report said that the gap between the wealthiest and poorest individuals in developed (OECD) countries was bigger than at any time in the previous 30 years. The gap had increased the most in the United Kingdom, where the richest 1 per cent had doubled their incomes since the 1970s.
Source: Divided We Stand: Why inequality keeps rising, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Links: Summary | UK note | OECD press release | TUAC press release | BBC report | Guardian report (1) | Guardian report (2) | Public Finance report
Date: 2011-Dec
A study examined the employment consequences of minimum wage regulation in 16 developed (OECD) countries during the period 1970-2008. Minimum wages caused material employment losses among 'prime-age females'. Minimum wage increases were more associated with (reduced) participation rates than with elevated joblessness. Prime-age females did not exhibit stronger employment losses in countries with the least regulated markets.
Source: John Addison and Orgul Demet Ozturk, Minimum Wages, Labor Market Institutions, and Female Employment: A cross-country analysis, Institute for Advanced Studies (Vienna)
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Dec
Researchers examined the social effects of employment developments across the European Union as a result of the global economic crisis. They considered what kinds of job had been lost, together with the impact on household incomes and on the numbers at risk of poverty.
Source: Terry Ward and Erhan Ozdemir, The Social Effects of Employment Developments Across the EU in the Crisis, Research Note 1/2011, Social Situation Observatory (European Commission)
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Dec
A paper examined the European Union's 2020 target for reducing poverty. It presented an analysis and critique of the way in which the target had been formulated on both conceptual and empirical grounds, and documented the consequence for the understanding of both cross-national and socio-economic patterning of poverty.
Source: Brian Nolan and Christopher Whelan, The EU 2020 Poverty Target, Discussion Paper 19, GINI Project (European Commission)
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Dec
An article examined whether the 'disappointing' impact on social inclusion of the European Union's open method of co-ordination could be explained by methodological weaknesses or by substantive contradictions in the 'social investment paradigm'. Policy-makers could not ignore the failure of employment policies to reduce the proportion of children and working-age adults living in jobless households in Europe.
Source: Frank Vandenbroucke and Koen Vleminckx, 'Disappointing poverty trends: is the social investment state to blame?', Journal of European Social Policy, Volume 21 Number 5
Links: Abstract
Notes: The open method of coordination (OMC) is an intergovernmental means of governance in the European Union, based on the voluntary co-operation of member states rather than the application of legislative measures.
Date: 2011-Dec
An article examined obstacles to the introduction of an obligation for all European Union member states to guarantee a dignified minimum income to their citizens. Given the great heterogeneity between countries, any binding instrument on minimum income would have to be worded flexibly, introduced gradually, and implemented in unison with a convergence in activation measures and minimum wages. Priority should be given to measures aimed at covering the minimum costs of child-rearing, restricted in an initial phase to guaranteeing to all families with children an income equal to 40 per cent of median standardized income.
Source: Bea Cantillon, Herwig Verschueren, and Natascha Van Mechelen, 'Towards minimum income protection in Europe: budgetary and political obstacles to overcome', European Journal of Social Security, 2011 Volume 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Dec
A new book examined the phenomenon of the 'working poor' in developed (OECD) countries. It sought to identify the most efficient policies and approaches to resolve the problem. 'The working poor' was too broad a category to be used for meaningful academic or policy discussion, and a distinction needed to be made between different categories of poor workers. Different welfare regimes generated different forms of working poverty.
Source: Eric Crettaz, Fighting Working Poverty In Post-Industrial Economies: Causes, trade-offs and policy solutions, Edward Elgar Publishing
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Nov
A paper examined the extent to which the global financial and economic crisis had affected labour market developments in Europe. Institutional arrangements – such as employment protection, unemployment insurance benefits, and minimum income support – had played a crucial role in determining the extent to which the crisis had led to higher unemployment, wage cuts, or income losses and rising poverty. They had also led to an unequal distribution of economic risks across socio-economic groups.
Source: Gaetano Basso, Matthias Dolls, Werner Eichhorst, Thomas Leoni, and Andreas Peichl, The Effects of the Recent Economic Crisis on Social Protection and Labour Market Arrangements Across Socio-Economic Groups, Discussion Paper 6080, Institute for the Study of Labor (Bonn)
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Nov
A new book examined the measurement of public pension liabilities in the European Union. Due to demographic developments, pension systems organized on a pay-as-you-go principle would be forced to either raise contribution rates/taxes or shorten future replacement rates – or both.
Source: Olaf Weddige, Measuring Public Pension Liabilities in the European Union , Peter Lang
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Nov
A report examined the measures taken or under consideration by European countries to mitigate the impact of the global financial crisis on the most vulnerable population groups and on the financing of social security systems.
Source: Anti-Crisis Measures: Safeguarding jobs and social security in Europe, Council of Europe
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Nov
A paper used a new model to estimate the impact on relative income poverty of moving towards the Europe 2020 target of having 75 per cent of the working-age population in work. Employment growth did not necessarily result in lower relative poverty shares – a result that was largely consistent with observed outcomes over the previous decade.
Source: Ive Marx, Pieter Vandenbroucke, and Gerlinde Verbist, Can Higher Employment Levels Bring Lower Poverty in the EU? Regression based simulations of the Europe 2020 target, Discussion Paper 6068, Institute for the Study of Labor (Bonn)
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Nov
A paper described a new relative deprivation index, and applied it to European Union countries. The concept of relative deprivation was extended towards the inter-temporal framework: individuals were deemed to take care of their relative position not only with respect to others but also with respect to their own past.
Source: Lidia Ceriani and Chiara Gigliarano, An Inter-Temporal Relative Deprivation Index, Working Paper 2011-237, ECINEQ: Society for the Study of Economic Inequality
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Nov
A new book examined globalization's influences on individual life courses in different European societies, and political strategies to mediate this influence. Globalization did not lead to a 'race to the bottom' in modern welfare states but was mediated differently by nation-specific institutions. Employment insecurity was often channelled to specific disadvantaged groups, thereby amplifying existing inequality structures.
Source: Hans-Peter Blossfeld, Sandra Buchholz, Dirk Hofacker, and Kathrin Kolb (eds.), Globalized Labour Markets and Social Inequality in Europe, Palgrave Macmillan
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Nov
A new book examined the mechanisms through which the European Union played a role in domestic social policy changes. It focused on where, when, and how national actors used the tools and resources offered by the process of European integration to support them in pursuing national welfare reforms.
Source: Paolo Graziano, Sophie Jacquot, and Bruno Palier (eds.), The EU and the Domestic Politics of Welfare State Reforms, Palgrave Macmillan
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Nov
The European Commission set out the European Union's priorities for 2012 in terms of economic and budgetary policies and reforms to boost growth and employment. An annex described the progress that had been made on the Europe 2020 targets: based on existing national targets, around 12 million people would be lifted out of poverty and social exclusion, short of the target of 20 million.
Source: Annual Growth Survey 2012, European Commission
Links: Report | Annex (Europe 2020) | Annex (employment) | European Commission press release
Date: 2011-Nov
An article examined the contribution that child maintenance made to the reduction of child poverty in 8 developed countries (including the United Kingdom), representing countries with different child maintenance schemes. The contribution that child maintenance made in reducing overall child poverty was 'modest'. However, it had a relatively large impact in reducing child poverty for those who did receive it. Child maintenance reduced the income poverty gap to the greatest extent in the UK, and lifted most poor children out of poverty in Denmark and Sweden.
Source: Mia Hakovirta, 'Child maintenance and child poverty: a comparative analysis', Journal of Poverty and Social Justice, Volume 19 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Nov
A report examined the Europe 2020 strategy for socially inclusive growth. It said that national reform programmes (NRPs) should be framed in a manner that recognized the interdependence of economic development, social development, and environmental development. More participation was needed to develop the NRPs, especially in order to include and engage all stakeholders. The member states should also increase public debate in regard to the development of NRPs. A more comprehensive approach to monitoring the NRPs was required.
Source: Europe 2020 Shadow Report, Caritas Europa
Links: Report | Caritas press release
Date: 2011-Nov
A paper said that social capital and national income were positively correlated across European countries, but negatively correlated over time. This paradoxical evidence was compatible with an explanation in terms of increasing economic inequality: in countries experiencing strong increases in inequality, trends of social capital were negatively correlated with economic growth. For countries where economic growth was accompanied by negative or modest increases in inequality, this relationship disappeared.
Source: Francesco Sarracino, Economic Growth and Social Capital: Happily together ever after?, Centre for Population, Poverty and Public Policy Studies (CEPS/INSTEAD)
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Nov
A paper said that the increase in economic inequality in advanced welfare democracies could be understood better by taking account of the changes in the housing regimes of many countries.
Source: Caroline Dewilde, The Interplay Between Economic Inequality Trends and Housing Regime Changes in Advanced Welfare Democracies, Discussion Paper 18, GINI Project (European Commission)
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Nov
An article examined whether the distributional consequences of contrasting welfare systems were enhanced, replicated, or countered by housing systems in England and the Netherlands.
Source: Mark Stephens and Guido van Steen, '"Housing poverty" and income poverty in England and the Netherlands', Housing Studies, Volume 26 Issue 7-8
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Nov
Researchers estimated subjective poverty equivalence scales for the whole Eurozone as well as its individual constituent countries. The scales increased consistently with household size. Adding the first child was more costly than adding a third adult, and the marginal cost of children declined. The scales 'redistributed poverty' away from larger to smaller households.
Source: Ismael Ahamdanech-Zarco, John Bishop, Andrew Grodner, and Haiyong Liu, Subjective Poverty Equivalence Scales for Euro Zone Countries, Working Paper 2011-233, ECINEQ: Society for the Study of Economic Inequality
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Nov
A paper examined concerns about horizontal equity or generational fairness in developed (OECD) countries and in the United Kingdom. For the OECD as a whole, there was no evidence that social expenditure had been shifting in favour of the elderly at the expense of children, except perhaps recently in Nordic countries. In the UK, there had been a small shift in final income in favour of the elderly – but this was a result of a change in the original income distribution in favour of the elderly, rather than changes in taxes, benefits, or services in kind.
Source: Jonathan Bradshaw and John Holmes, An Analysis of Generational Equity Over Recent Decades in the OECD and UK, Discussion Paper 11, GINI Project (European Commission)
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Nov
A paper examined the relationship between birth weight and socio-economic status in the United Kingdom and Ireland. There was strong evidence of intergenerational persistence in the transmission of poor early life conditions.
Source: Mark McGovern, Still Unequal at Birth: Birth weight, socioeconomic status and outcomes at age 9, Working Paper 11/25, Centre for Economic Research (University College Dublin)
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Nov
A new book examined the factors behind working poverty in different European countries (including a case study from the United Kingdom). There had been a growth of jobs in Europe in the previous 15 years: but this had not decreased poverty, because of a relative expansion of low-quality jobs. The global economic crisis threatened to increase poverty further. Contributors examined working poverty in relation to gender, migration, and policies such as tax credits.
Source: Neil Fraser, Rodolfo Gutierrez, and Ramon Pena-Casas (eds.), Working Poverty in Europe: A comparative approach, Palgrave Macmillan
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Nov
A report said that the macro-economic approach being pursued by European Union countries – driven by EU economic governance rules, and focusing on stability and competitiveness – was failing to promote inclusive growth, threatened human rights, and was likely to generate increased poverty, exclusion, and inequality.
Source: Deliver Inclusive Growth – Put the heart back in Europe! EAPN analysis of the 2011 National Reform Programmes (NRPs) Europe 2020, European Anti-Poverty Network
Links: Report | EAPN press release
Date: 2011-Oct
A think-tank report examined the relationship between economic growth and wages for workers on middle (median) wages over the previous 30 years in 10 major developed (OECD) countries. The United Kingdom was in a middle group where median pay had tracked economic growth for long periods, but had increased at less than one-half the rate of national income per capita in the previous decade.
Source: Jess Bailey, Joe Coward, and Matthew Whittaker, Painful Separation: An international study of the weakening relationship between economic growth and the pay of ordinary workers, Resolution Foundation
Date: 2011-Oct
A paper examined if, and to what extent, government redistribution policies in developed (OECD) countries had slowed or accelerated the trend towards greater income disparities in the previous 20-25 years. Tax-benefit systems had become more redistributive since the 1980s: but this had not stopped income inequality from rising – market income inequality had grown by twice as much as redistribution.
Source: Herwig Immervoll and Linda Richardson, Redistribution Policy and Inequality Reduction in OECD Countries: What has changed in two decades?, Discussion Paper 6030, Institute for the Study of Labor (Bonn)
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Oct
The report was published of a meeting (held in May 2011) that brought together people (from different European Union countries) who were experiencing poverty and social exclusion.
Source: Pauline Geoghegan, Employment, Work, Jobs: The reality for people experiencing poverty and social exclusion, European Anti-Poverty Network
Links: Report | EAPN press release
Date: 2011-Oct
A report provided an overview of national experts' reports on the extent to which national reform programmes were likely to ensure progress towards the achievement of social inclusion objectives in the Europe 2020 strategy. Only a very few member states had presented a reasonably developed and coherent analysis of the challenges and bottlenecks that needed to be addressed.
Source: Hugh Frazer and Eric Marlier, Assessment of Progress Towards the Europe 2020 Social Inclusion Objectives, EU Network of Independent Experts on Social Inclusion/European Commission
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Oct
A paper examined earnings inequality and mobility across the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, and the United States of America during the late 1990s. Earnings mobility and employment risk were found to be positively correlated with base-year inequality. Taken together they produced more equalization in countries with high cross-section inequality, such that the countries had more similar lifetime inequality levels than cross-section measures suggested.
Source: Audra Bowlus and Jean-Marc Robin, An International Comparison of Lifetime Inequality: How continental Europe resembles north America, Working Paper 2011-6, Department of Economics (University of Western Ontario, Canada)
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Oct
An article examined the fragmentation of social security systems in many western European countries, following a reorientation of welfare states towards 'activation' policies.
Source: Cyrielle Champion and Guiliano Bonoli, ' Institutional fragmentation and coordination initiatives in western European welfare states', Journal of European Social Policy, Volume 21 Number 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Oct
A think-tank report examined the policies of developed (OECD) countries on poverty prevention, access to education, labour market inclusion, health, intergenerational justice, social cohesion, and non-discrimination. Whereas the northern European states performed best in promoting equal opportunities, many European and 'Anglo-Saxon' welfare states – including the United Kingdom – were falling behind.
Source: Social Justice in the OECD: How Do the Member States Compare?, Bertelsmann Foundation
Links: Report | Bertelsmann Foundation press release | Guardian report
Date: 2011-Oct
A report examined progress on implementation of the European Commission s 'active inclusion' strategy – designed to support people experiencing social exclusion to live in dignity and help them move towards a decent job, or to get more confidence and skills to participate more actively in their communities.
Source: Active Inclusion – Making it Happen, European Anti-Poverty Network
Links: Report | EAPN press release
Date: 2011-Oct
A report examined how to foster inclusive labour markets in the European Union, and how to prevent and tackle child poverty. It considered how these challenges could be best addressed, and highlighted examples of good practice. It sought to identify concrete policy solutions to these challenges that could be applied during implementation of the Europe 2020 Strategy.
Source: Policy Solutions for Fostering Inclusive Labour Markets and for Combating Child Poverty and Social Exclusion, EU Network of Independent Experts on Social Inclusion/European Commission
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Oct
A paper examined the effects of individual and household characteristics on poverty status in 14 European countries (including the United Kingdom) for the period 1994-2000. State dependence remained significant in all specifications, even after controlling for unobserved heterogeneity or when removing possible endogeneity bias. Social benefits were therefore likely to play an important role, if breaking the 'vicious circle' of poverty were among long-run policy objectives.
Source: Eirini Andriopoulou and Panos Tsakloglou, Once Poor, Always Poor? Do Initial Conditions Matter? Evidence from the ECHP, Discussion Paper 5971, Institute for the Study of Labor (Bonn)
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Oct
A new book examined the European model of social justice in private law.
Source: Hans Micklitz (ed.), The Many Concepts of Social Justice in European Private Law, Edward Elgar Publishing
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Oct
A paper examined the effects of specific dimensions of human capital on individuals' earnings and earnings differentials across 6 western European countries (including the United Kingdom). Each component of human capital had different effects, along the whole earnings distribution. Quite dissimilar patterns of influence of family-specific background on children's outcomes were identified.
Source: Rosalia Castellano and Gennaro Punzo, Education and Earnings Differentials: The Role of Family Background Across European Countries, Working Paper 28, AlmaLaurea Inter-University Consortium (Italy)
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Oct
A new book examined the relationship between national and transnational social solidarity in Europe. Social solidarity was the 'defining pillar' of European integration.
Source: Marion Ellison (ed.), Reinventing Social Solidarity Across Europe, Policy Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Oct
A new book examined poverty and deprivation in Europe using a multidimensional approach.
Source: Brian Nolan and Christopher Whelan, Poverty and Deprivation in Europe, Oxford University Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Oct
A paper examined the distinction between child poverty and family poverty in Europe. Two key distinguishing factors were: putting the child at the centre of all policy measures to combat child poverty; and acknowledging the child as a social actor outside the family. The best way to tackle child poverty and social exclusion was a rights-based approach that focused on access to adequate resources, access to quality services and opportunities, and children's participation.
Source: Child Poverty – Family Poverty: Are They One and the Same? A rights-based approach to fighting child poverty, Eurochild
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Oct
A report provided an overview of the impact of a wide range of social inequalities in developed countries, including inequalities of income, wealth, and education. It considered social, political, and cultural impacts.
Source: Wiemer Salverda (ed.), Inequalities Impacts: State of the art review, GINI Project (European Commission)
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Oct
A paper examined the relationship between existing poverty/social exclusion outcomes and parental characteristics/childhood economic circumstances, drawing on the European Union Statistics of Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) 2005 wave.
Source: Christopher Whelan, Bertrand Maitre, and Brian Nolan, Analysing Intergenerational Influences on Income Poverty and Economic Vulnerability with EU-SILC, WP2011/25, Geary Institute (University College Dublin)
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Oct
A new book examined key issues surrounding the future of the European 'social model'. Contributors evaluated the impact of the enlargement processes, the implications of the Lisbon treaty, the integration of the social charter into European Union law – and, above all, the consequences of the global economic crisis.
Source: Marie-Ange Moreau (ed.), Before and after the Economic Crisis: What Implications for the European social model ?, Edward Elgar Publishing
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Oct
A report examined measures in European Union countries aimed at combating poverty by means of systems of guaranteed minimum resources. Such schemes differed to a large extent across Europe, and it was difficult to cluster them within a certain typology. However, a common set of challenges could be identified: achieving and maintaining the adequacy of benefits; the need for a consistent methodology or mechanism to facilitate up-rating of benefits in line with either wages or a measure of inflation; the complexity of schemes and coverage of potentially eligible claimant groups; high levels of non-compliance and non-take-up of benefits, especially among schemes that were highly residual and targeted; and the dilemma of having an adequate and inclusive minimum income scheme that did not create disincentives to work.
Source: Guaranteed Minimum Resources, Mutual Information System on Social Protection/Social Security (European Commission)
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Oct
A paper examined how redistributive preference in European countries related to actual income and to its distribution. On a macro level there was a continued and high support of state redistribution in many European countries: but the cross-country variance was also high. Although affluent, middle-income, and low-income groups had a different appetite for redistribution everywhere, the distance between their attitudes also seemed to be determined by the distance between their relative positions.
Source: Istvan Gyorgy Toth and Tamas Keller, Income Distributions, Inequality Perceptions and Redistributive Claims in European Societies, Discussion Paper 7, GINI Project (European Commission)
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Sep
A paper examined cross-national differences in income insecurity. For 'pre-government' incomes, Britain exhibited the highest levels of income insecurity. Insecurity in market incomes was primarily concentrated around low-income families. Insecurity in post-government incomes was for the most part found to be unrelated to household income.
Source: Nicholas Rohde, Kam Ki Tang, and Prasada Rao, Income Volatility and Insecurity in the US, Germany and Britain, Discussion Paper 434, School of Economics, University of Queensland (Australia)
Date: 2011-Sep
A paper examined how best to approach the measurement of income inequality and wage inequality, to enhance comparability across different country studies. It focused first on income inequality, dealing with the definition of income, the income recipient unit, and the unit of analysis. It then explored inequality in earnings among employees.
Source: Brian Nolan, Ive Marx, and Wiemer Salverda, Comparable Indicators of Inequality Across Countries, Discussion Paper 9, GINI Project (European Commission)
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Sep
A paper examined the effect of changes in the early life economic environment on late life cognitive ability in 11 European countries (not including the United Kingdom). Being born during a recession or boom period significantly influenced cognitive functioning late in life in various domains. The effects were particularly pronounced among the less well educated.
Source: Gabriele Doblhammer, Gerard van den Berg, and Thomas Fritze, Economic Conditions at the Time of Birth and Cognitive Abilities Late in Life: Evidence from eleven European countries, Discussion Paper 5940, Institute for the Study of Labor (Bonn)
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Sep
An annual publication surveyed labour market conditions in developed (OECD) countries. Unemployment remained 'stubbornly high'. A chapter examined how well social safety net systems had stood up to the global economic recession, and considered what insights this experience had offered.
Source: OECD Employment Outlook 2011, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Links: Summary | UK note | OECD press release
Date: 2011-Sep
A new book examined the effect of the global economic crisis on social policy in developed countries. 'The crisis' was better understood as a variety of crises, each mediated by national context. Consequently, there was an array of potential trajectories for welfare systems, from those where social policy was regarded as incompatible with the post-crisis economy to those where it was considered essential to future economic growth and security.
Source: Kevin Farnsworth and Zoe Irving (eds.), Social Policy in Challenging Times: Economic crisis and welfare systems, Policy Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Sep
A study examined the long-term effects of financial hardship and negative shocks, such as those induced by the recent financial crisis, experienced by individual households in different European countries. A financial hardship episode was found to be similar to a bad start in life, in that it depressed earnings for a similarly long period. In southern European countries, informal insurance mechanisms mitigated the effects on earnings, but were unable to cope with the more persistent shocks.
Source: Agar Brugiavini and Guglielmo Weber, with Orazio Attanasio, Margherita Borella, Olympia Bover, and Torben Heien Nielsen, Longer-Term Consequences on Income Distribution of the Great Recession, Fondazione Rodolfo Debenedetti (Milan)
Links: Report | FRDB press release
Date: 2011-Sep
A group of left-of-centre Members of the European Parliament published a 10-point social policy strategy for Europe. They said that economic freedom needed to be matched by respect for advanced labour laws, including equal pay and full trade union rights; that European Union measures were needed to eradicate poverty, along with action on social exclusion and lack of access to education; and that completing the single market needed to include strengthening its social dimension – making the market not just a goal in itself but a way of improving people's quality of life.
Source: Europe Needs a New Social Strategy, Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament
Links: Strategy | Group press release
Date: 2011-Sep
A paper expressed a number of concerns regarding the use of volunteering to tackle poverty in Europe.
Source: Volunteering and the Fight Against Poverty, European Anti-Poverty Network
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Sep
A report examined the social impact in Europe of the global economic crisis, focusing on groups who were vulnerable to poverty and social exclusion. It outlined a recovery strategy based on broader social and sustainable development.
Source: Katherine Duffy, Re-Engaging Hope and Expectations: Getting out of the crisis together, European Anti-Poverty Network
Links: Report | EAPN press release
Date: 2011-Sep
A report examined how unemployment benefit systems in Europe had been adapted to the global economic crisis. Governments had made a range of changes, including both increasing and decreasing the generosity of the benefits, adjusting eligibility criteria, widening access to include certain vulnerable groups, tightening the monitoring of claimants, and using unemployment benefits to support short-time working measures. Although it was too early to assess most of these measures, in some countries the use of unemployment benefit to support short-time working appeared to have had some positive impact.
Source: Claire Duchemin, Anna Manoudi, and David Scott (eds.), Adapting Unemployment Benefit Systems to the Economic Cycle, 2011, European Employment Observatory
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Sep
A paper explored and compared the effectiveness of minimum income (MI) schemes in protecting persons of working age from poverty in the European Union. In several countries a significant number of individuals were ineligible for MI even when they fell below a poverty line set at 40 per cent of median income. In other countries a large fraction of those entitled to MI remained at very low levels of income even when MI benefit was added.
Source: Francesco Figari, Manos Matsaganis, and Holly Sutherland, Are European Social Safety Nets Tight Enough?, Discussion Paper 2, GINI Project (European Commission)
Date: 2011-Sep
A new book examined social solidarity within and across Europe. It considered how it was being reinvented from below, and redefined from above.
Source: Marion Ellison (ed.), Reinventing Social Solidarity Across Europe, Policy Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Sep
A paper examined the variation across European Union countries in the prevalence of household joblessness, and the implications for the EU poverty reduction target. The prevalence of household joblessness varied substantially across EU countries: but there was 'little association' between the overall extent of household joblessness in a country and the percentage of people in relative income poverty or above a material deprivation threshold.
Source: Marloes de Graaf-Zijl and Brian Nolan, Household Joblessness and Its Impact on Poverty and Deprivation in Europe, Discussion Paper 5, GINI Project (European Commission)
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Sep
A new book examined whether there was such a thing as a distinctively European social model In the field of labour law and social security law.
Source: Antoine Jacobs, Labour and the Law in Europe: A satellite view on labour law and social security law in Europe, Wolf Legal Publishers
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Sep
A paper examined how social class shaped the occurrence of social risks (defined as socio-economic circumstances associated with significant losses of income) in European Union countries.
Source: Olivier Pintelon, Bea Cantillon, Karel Van den Bosch, and Christopher Whelan, The Social Stratification of Social Risks, Working Paper 11/04, Herman Deleeck Centre for Social Policy (University of Antwerp)
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Sep
A briefing note examined the European Union's 2020 strategy, and highlighted the opportunities it presented for interventions by anti-poverty organizations.
Source: The Europe 2020 Strategy, European Anti-Poverty Network
Date: 2011-Sep
A new book provided a systematic comparative and longitudinal analysis of minimum income protection systems in 17 European Union countries, based on a newly developed dataset.
Source: Thomas Bahle, Vanessa Hubl, and Michaela Pfeifer, The Last Safety Net: A handbook of minimum income protection in Europe, Policy Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Sep
A paper used data for 24 European countries to examine how inequality in different parts of the income distribution was related to civic, cultural, and social participation. A substantial part of the impact of inequality manifested itself through resources at the individual and societal level: but, independent of resources, it was still the case that higher inequality magnified the relationship between income and participation.
Source: Bram Lancee and Herman van de Werfhorst, Income Inequality and Participation: A comparison of 24 European countries, Discussion Paper 6, GINI Project (European Commission)
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Sep
A paper examined the outcomes of the European Union's agenda for growth, employment, and social inclusion. It considered why, despite higher incomes and employment, poverty rates had not gone down. Rising employment had benefited workless households only partially; income protection for the working-age population out of work had become less adequate; and social policies had become less 'pro-poor'.
Source: Bea Cantillon, The Paradox of the Social Investment State: Growth, employment and poverty in the Lisbon era, Working Paper 11/03, Herman Deleeck Centre for Social Policy (University of Antwerp)
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Sep
A paper examined the identification of the 'middle class' using data from the Luxembourg Income Study. The concept of 'class' required the examination of other dimensions beyond income – including property and occupations.
Source: Anthony Atkinson and Andrea Brandolini, On the Identification of the 'Middle Class', Working Paper 2011-217, ECINEQ: Society for the Study of Economic Inequality (Palma de Mallorca)
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Sep
An article examined the extent to which the global financial crisis had intensified pressure to 'reform' the welfare state, based on a comparison of the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Sweden. Initial responses had been surprisingly similar, with continuing public support for the welfare state the main explanatory factor.
Source: Barbara Vis, Kees van Kersbergen, and Tom Hylands, 'To what extent did the financial crisis intensify the pressure to reform the welfare state?', Social Policy and Administration, Volume 45 Number 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Aug
An article said that public authorities in Europe Union countries needed to ensure that pension systems, regardless of how they were organized, delivered adequate incomes in old age. The objective of adequacy of pensions systems should receive equal attention to the objective of sustainability and security; and the impact of proposed reforms on vulnerable groups, such as women with career breaks, should be addressed.
Source: Anne-Sophie Parent, 'Can the EU achieve adequate, sustainable and safe pensions for all in the coming decades?', Pensions: An International Journal, Volume 16 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Aug
A new book examined how to improve the absolute living standards of the least well-off people, based on the experiences of 20 affluent countries since the 1970s. It considered the extent to which economic growth helped to reduce poverty; when and why growth failed to 'trickle down'; how social policy could help; whether universal programmes were better than targeted ones; and the role of public services and social spending in anti-poverty efforts.
Source: Lane Kenworthy, Progress for the Poor, Oxford University Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Aug
An article examined the immediate policy responses to urgent social matters under conditions of economic crisis, focusing on social and unemployment policies in Germany, the United Kingdom, and Sweden. Governments seemed to have fallen back on 'old habits' by adopting reactive policies that were based on their institutional legacies.
Source: Heejung Chung and Stefan Thewissen, 'Falling back on old habits? A comparison of the social and unemployment crisis reactive policy strategies in Germany, the UK and Sweden', Social Policy and Administration, Volume 45 Number 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Aug
The European Commission published a proposal for the establishment of a European Platform Against Poverty and Social Exclusion. It set out the challenges presented by poverty and exclusion, and outlined the contribution of different policies to reducing poverty and increasing inclusion. It identified a number of associated actions, and explained the design and the content of the Platform.
Source: The European Platform Against Poverty and Social Exclusion: A European framework for social and territorial cohesion, European Commission
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Aug
The European Court of Justice ruled that the right of European Union citizens to move and reside in another EU country could not be fully effective if a person would be excluded from claiming a social security benefit on the sole ground that he or she had previously not been present or was not present in the country in which he or she claimed the benefit. EU countries could still set conditions to establish entitlement to social security benefits: but the condition of past presence in order to establish a genuine link between the claimant and that country was contrary to EU law.
Source: Lucy Stewart v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, European Court of Justice
Links: Judgement | EC press release
Date: 2011-Jul
A paper provided an overlap analysis of child deprivation in the European Union, in order to gain insight into the breadth of child poverty and degree of overlap between measures of monetary and multidimensional poverty.
Source: Keetie Roelen and Geranda Notten, The Breadth of Child Poverty in Europe: An investigation into overlap and accumulation of deprivations, Working Paper 2011-04, UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre (Florence)
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Jul
An article examined types of public family support in the European Union. There were five distinct family policy clusters: a general family support cluster, a dual-earner support cluster, a pluralistic policy cluster, and two low-support clusters. This framework could be used to explain international variation in female labour-market participation, fertility, gender equality, and child poverty.
Source: Monika Mischkea, 'Types of public family support: a cluster analysis of 15 European countries', Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis: Research and Practice, Volume 13 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Jul
A paper examined the decline of traditional workplace pensions in developed (OECD) countries, the apparent inadequacy of alternatives such as money-purchase (defined-contribution) schemes, and the rise of government-sponsored savings institutions designed to partially compensate for the decline of workplace pensions.
Source: Gordon Clark, From Corporatism to Public Utilities: Workplace pensions in the 21st century, Working Paper WPG11-08, Centre for Employment, Work and Finance (University of Oxford)
Date: 2011-Jul
The European Commission said that access to a basic payment account would promote financial and social inclusion for consumers across Europe. It 'invited' member states to ensure that such accounts became available at a reasonable charge to consumers, regardless of their country of residence in the European Union or their financial situation. It would assess the situation in a year's time and propose any further measures as necessary, including legislative measures.
Source: Press release 18 July 2011, European Commission
Links: European Commission press release | BEUC press release
Date: 2011-Jul
A paper examined a number of candidate measures of cumulative deprivation to monitor child well-being in the European Union. Some measures were considerably more sensitive than others. Relative measures of cumulative deprivation were problematic: not only were they very sensitive to changes in methodological decisions, but they were also more difficult to interpret. However, in order to monitor cumulative deprivation there was also a need for child-specific indicators (rather than household-level indicators) over a wider range of well-being domains.
Source: Geranda Notten and Keetie Roelen, Monitoring Child Well-Being in the European Union: Measuring cumulative deprivation, Working Paper 2011-03, UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre (Florence)
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Jul
A paper re-examined evidence from the Luxembourg Wealth Study to the effect that the distribution of wealth in the United Kingdom was considerably less equal than in Canada, the United States of America, or Sweden. It concluded that the inequality found in the comparisons was 'robust'.
Source: Frank Cowell, Inequality Among the Wealthy, CASEpaper 150, Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion (London School of Economics)
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Jul
A paper examined the approach taken by the European Union to poverty and social exclusion over the previous decade. The EU had been 'quietly redefining' the measurement of poverty, and giving substance to social exclusion as a problem for social policy. The EU's approach had a number of significant and unique elements, but also a number of attendant weaknesses.
Source: Mary Daly, Lisbon and Beyond: The EU approach to combating poverty and social exclusion in the last decade, Working Paper 3, Poverty and Social Exclusion in the UK Project
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Jul
A study examined if, and to what extent, European Union member states' domestic inheritance tax rules might lead to differences in treatment that were incompatible with Community law.
Source: Helge Sigurd N ss-Schmidt, Torben Thoro Pedersen, Frederik Harhoff, Marcin Winiarczyk, and Christian Jervelund, Study on Inheritance Taxes in EU Member States and Possible Mechanisms to Resolve Problems of Double Inheritance Taxation in the EU, European Commission
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Jul
A report reviewed activities undertaken during the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion (in 2010).
Source: European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion: Springboard into the future, European Commission
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Jul
A paper examined trends in household credit markets in Europe. It considered what grounds the different stages of recovery provided for new European Union-wide legislative proposals, in particular the proposed directive on mortgage credit.
Source: Elina Pyykko, Trends in European Household Credit: Solid or shaky ground for regulatory changes?, European Credit Research Institute
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Jul
A briefing paper examined the exclusion of older people in European countries from material resources. Eastern European countries fared much worse in terms of capability deprivation of older people, as distinct from income deprivation.
Source: Asghar Zaidi, Exclusion from Material Resources Among Older People in EU Countries: New evidence on poverty and capability deprivation, Policy Brief 2, European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research (Vienna)
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Jul
A new book examined public attitudes in Europe towards healthcare, family policy, and social security benefits. It said that the institutional design of social policies had a great impact on inequalities among social groups, and provided best practice for gaining public support for social policy reform.
Source: Claus Wendt, Monika Mischke, and Michaela Pfeifer, Welfare States and Public Opinion: Perceptions of healthcare systems, family policy and benefits for the unemployed and poor in Europe, Edward Elgar Publishing
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Jul
An annual report examined the structure, level, and trends of taxation in the European Union.
Source: Taxation Trends in the European Union: Data for the EU Member States, Iceland and Norway – 2011 edition, Eurostat (European Union)
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Jul
A report examined the 2011 'national reform programmes' of European Union member states from the point of view of child poverty and well-being. It said that there should be greater recognition in the programmes that measures to tackle poverty and social exclusion – and child poverty in particular – would contribute to achieving other Europe 2020 headline targets. The Europe 2020 strategy needed to be backed up by specific national strategies on social inclusion that had a specific chapter on child poverty, coupled with implementation plans. Targets on poverty reduction should be strengthened and supplemented by specific child poverty targets. National reform programmes should not only recognize child poverty as a challenge but also commit to its widespread reduction. A more comprehensive approach was needed to fully tackle child poverty, both at national and at EU level, involving a wide range of policies that reached out to the most vulnerable groups and improved child well-being.
Source: Analysis of the 2011 National Reform Programmes (NRPs) from a Child Poverty and Well-Being Perspective, Eurochild
Links: Report | Eurochild press release
Date: 2011-Jul
A think-tank report examined the prospects for social progress in Europe. Separate sections dealt with: politics, social cohesion, and re-energizing citizenship; social investment; the labour market and workplace; and intergenerational inequality.
Source: Michael McTernan (ed.), Social Progress in the 21st Century: Social investment, labour market reform and intergenerational inequality, Policy Network
Links: Report | Policy Network press release
Date: 2011-Jul
An article examined what social policy contracts revealed about contemporary forms of social solidarity, and about the nature of social cohesion in western societies, by reference to 'workfare' in various countries. The moralistic nature of the workfare contract, and the forms of social solidarity that it expressed, contributed to the persistence of social suffering and had a 'de-politicizing' effect on social policy.
Source: Kenneth Veitch, 'Social solidarity and the power of contract', Journal of Law and Society, Volume 38 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Jun
An article examined differences in anti-poverty approaches between the European Union and the United States of America.
Source: Koen Caminada and Megan Martin, 'Differences in anti-poverty approaches in Europe and the United States: a cross-Atlantic descriptive policy analysis', Poverty & Public Policy, Volume 3 Issue 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Jun
An article examined 'asset-poor' households in Spain and the United Kingdom. The age profile of the asset poor was remarkably similar in the two countries, with individuals in households whose head was under 45 years old more likely to be asset poor. But the incidence of wealth poverty in the UK was about twice that of Spain.
Source: Francisco Azpitarte, 'Measurement and identification of asset-poor households: a cross-national comparison of Spain and the United Kingdom', Journal of Economic Inequality, Volume 9 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Jun
A paper examined the relationship between macroeconomic activity and inequality, using data for the United Kingdom, Sweden, and United States of America.
Source: Marika Karanassou and Hector Sala, Inequality and Employment Sensitivities to the Falling Labour Share, Discussion Paper 5796, Institute for the Study of Labor (Bonn)
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Jun
An article examined the contribution of capital income to income inequality in the United Kingdom, Germany, and the United States of America. Capital income made a disproportionately high contribution to overall inequality in relation to its share in disposable income, accounting for a large part of disparity in all three countries.
Source: Anna Frassdorf, Markus Grabka, and Johannes Schwarze, 'The impact of household capital income on income inequality – a factor decomposition analysis for the UK, Germany and the USA', Journal of Economic Inequality, Volume 9 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Jun
The European Union published a policy statement on child poverty and child well-being. It called on member states to adequately emphasize child poverty issues within their national policies, and to consider it when drafting national reform programmes – backing them up with adequate targets where appropriate. It asked the European Commission to ensure that combating child poverty and promoting children's well-being were mainstreamed across all policy areas, and to consider them as one of the priorities of the social dimension of the Europe 2020 strategy.
Source: Tackling Child Poverty and Promoting Child Well-Being, European Union
Links: Statement | Eurochild press release
Date: 2011-Jun
The European Commission published a set of recommendations designed to help the United Kingdom adjust its economic and social policies for growth, jobs, and reform of public finances – alongside similar recommendations for the other European Union member states, and for the euro area as a whole.
Source: Recommendation for a Council Recommendation on the National Reform Programme 2011 of the United Kingdom and Delivering a Council Opinion on the Updated Convergence Programme of the United Kingdom, 2011-2014, European Commission | Recommendation for a Council Recommendation on the Implementation of the Broad Guidelines for the Economic Policies of the Member States Whose Currency Is the Euro, European Commission
Links: UK report | EC working paper (UK) | Euro area report | EC working paper (euro area) | European Commission press release | Link to country reports | EAPN press release | EWL press release | Joint EMCO/SPC opinion
Notes: UK national reform programme (April 2011) | UK convergence programme (April 2011)
Date: 2011-Jun
A paper compared the intergenerational transmission of advantages in 8 European countries (including the United Kingdom).
Source: Michele Raitano and Francesco Vona, The Economic Impact of Upward and Downward Occupational Mobility: A comparison of eight EU member states, Working Paper 13, Doctoral School of Economics, Sapienza University of Rome
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Jun
A report examined the situation in the European Union in relation to poverty and social exclusion, and assessed related policy options for addressing the challenges involved. 1 in 5 people in the EU were at risk of poverty or social exclusion, and 40 million people were in a condition of severe deprivation. Achieving the EU commitment to lift at least 20 million people out of poverty and social exclusion in a decade would require 'ambitious' national targets, and protection for the most vulnerable people from fiscal consolidation measures.
Source: Social Protection Committee, The Social Dimension of the Europe 2020 Strategy, European Commission
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Jun
A new book examined the various mechanisms that held different societies together and how these were withstanding the strains of the latest economic crisis. It identified four major traditions of social cohesion in developed societies, each with specific institutional and cultural foundations. There were still distinctive 'regimes of social cohesion' in 'liberal,' 'social market', and 'social democratic' countries; and they achieved social bonding in quite different ways.
Source: Andy Green and Jan Germen Janmaat, Regimes of Social Cohesion: Societies and the crisis of globalization, Palgrave Macmillan
Links: Summary | IOE press release
Date: 2011-Jun
A paper examined the distribution of labour earnings among employees within the European Union using data from Wave 2007-1 of the European Community Statistics on Income and Living Conditions. The ranking of countries by median full-time equivalent monthly gross earnings showed eastern European nations at the bottom and Luxembourg at the top. Earnings differences were sizeable, both across and within countries.
Source: Andrea Brandolini, Alfonso Rosolia, and Roberto Torrini, The Distribution of Employees Labour Earnings in the European Union: Data, concepts and first results, Working Paper 2011-198, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality (Palma de Mallorca, Spain)
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Jun
An article identified two different paths to outsourcing public social protection in Europe: fragmentation of social protection on the one hand (in personal savings accounts), and amalgamation of social protection on the other (in life-course savings schemes). These very different concepts of outsourcing had implications for social inequalities: the redesign of provision changed the obligatory character of social insurance, and also changes the definition of who was 'adequately' protected in ways that might no longer correspond to the factual situation of various groups.
Source: Patricia Frericks, 'Marketising social protection in Europe: two distinct paths and their impact on social inequalities', International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, Volume 31 Issue 5/6
Links: Table of contents
Date: 2011-May
An article said that there was 'very strong evidence' of welfare state convergence among developed countries. The speed of convergence was driven by globalization and European Union membership, and shaped by existing welfare state structures.
Source: Carina Schmitt and Peter Starke, 'Explaining convergence of OECD welfare states: a conditional approach', Journal of European Social Policy, Volume 21 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-May
An article examined how factors such as class position, education, social network membership, and cultural capital contributed to the intergenerational transmission of class advantage for women and men in different European welfare states.
Source: Peter Taylor-Gooby, 'Taking advantage: informal social mechanisms and equal opportunities policies', International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, Volume 31 Issue 5/6
Links: Table of contents
Date: 2011-May
A paper examined household participation in voluntary individual retirement accounts in 11 European countries (not including the United Kingdom). High wealth and income increased the probability of owning such accounts across most countries, suggesting that the schemes would do little to tackle pensioner poverty.
Source: Julia Le Blanc, The Third Pillar in Europe: Institutional factors and individual decisions, Discussion Paper 09/2011, Deutsche Bundesbank
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-May
A report examined wealth, inequality, and social polarization in the European Union.
Source: Wealth, Inequality and Social Polarisation in the EU, European Anti-Poverty Network
Links: Report
Date: 2011-May
A paper examined mobility into and out of poverty, and identified the determinants of poverty spell beginnings and endings, in 14 European countries for the period 1994-2000. In most countries, households headed by young or elderly individuals, as well as households with dependent children, were at higher risk of staying longer in poverty.
Source: Eirini Andriopoulou and Panos Tsakloglou, The Determinants of Poverty Transitions in Europe and the Role of Duration Dependence, Discussion Paper 5692, Institute for the Study of Labor (Bonn)
Date: 2011-May
A paper examined the effect of unemployment on earnings for 10 European countries. Unemployment effects differed by country and gender. The wage penalty was greater for men than for women. It was also higher in the more flexible economies.
Source: Olivia Ekert-Jaffe and Isabelle Terraz, The Scarring Effect of Unemployment in Ten European Countries: An analysis based on the ECHP, Working Paper 2011-09, Bureau d'Economie Theorique et Appliquee (Strasbourg/Nancy
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-May
A paper examined the 'conventional wisdom' that the welfare state foundations of European Union member states had been fatally eroded by globalization, European integration, demographic change, and individualization processes in society.
Source: Arne Heise and Hanna Lierse, The European Social Model Under Pressure: The effects of European austerity programmes on social security systems, Working Papers on Economic Governance 37, Department of Socio-Economics, Hamburg University
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-May
An article used data from the 2008 European Social Survey to consider whether citizen attitudes would provide continuing support for the welfare state in more difficult times. Pressures on state welfare might diminish the feeling of security so that support for state provision grew: but they did so in a climate of more equivocal trust in government services.
Source: Peter Taylor-Gooby, 'Security, equality and opportunity: attitudes and the sustainability of social protection', Journal of European Social Policy, Volume 21 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-May
A new book examined recent developments in welfare policy in the United Kingdom and Germany. It considered the similarities and differences between the two countries, and analyzed the degree to which social attitudes towards welfare provision, fairness, and social justice had changed. It focused on three public policy domains: family policy, pensions, and policies aimed at social and labour market integration.
Source: Jochen Clasen (ed.), Converging Worlds of Welfare? British and German social policy in the 21st century, Oxford University Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-May
A report examined the different ways in which governments in developed countries supported families. Between 2003 and 2007 the United Kingdom had strengthened its position as one of the biggest investors in families: but progress in child poverty reduction had stalled, and social protection spending on families – particularly via family service provisions, as a longer-term solution to poverty risks – needed to be protected.
Source: Doing Better for Families, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Links: Summary | UK note | OECD press release | Gingerbread press release | Guardian report
Date: 2011-Apr
A paper highlighted the benefits of the social 'open method of co-ordination' (OMC) within the European Union as an independent, rights-based strategy aimed at preventing as well as alleviating poverty. A distinct EU strategy for social protection and social inclusion should be retained, rather than being subsumed within the broader 'Europe 2020' strategy.
Source: EAPN Input on the Role of the Social OMC in the Context of Europe 2020, European Anti-Poverty Network
Date: 2011-Apr
A paper examined household indebtedness in the European Union. Low-income households had to make a greater effort than high-income households to service their debt. Households whose housing costs or debt servicing were associated with late payments (arrears) were more likely to have a low income and/or a low level of education, both for mortgage and consumer debt.
Source: Ramon Gomez-Salvador, Adriana Lojschova, and Thomas Westermann, Household Sector Borrowing in the Euro Area: A micro data perspective, Occasional Paper 125, European Central Bank
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Apr
A briefing paper examined income inequalities between and within European Union countries. In 2009, the group of 9 countries with the lowest real household income per capita recorded income 55 per cent below the EU average. The lowest income inequalities within countries were found in Slovenia, the Czech Republic, and Hungary; and the highest inequalities were recorded in Latvia, Romania, and Lithuania.
Source: Peeter Leetmaa, Denis Leythienne, Fabienne Montaigne, and Pascal Wolff, The 9 Poorest Countries Catching up on Income per Capita, Eurostat (European Union)
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Apr
An article examined the importance of a life-event perspective on poverty in European countries. It considered whether risky life events had the same poverty-triggering effect for all social stratification groups, or whether processes of cumulative disadvantage prevailed at crucial life transitions. The most vulnerable social groups were more affected by the poverty-triggering effect of a life-stage such as childbirth. On the other hand, job loss was a more general poverty trigger, substantially increasing everyone's poverty-entry risk. Partnership dissolution also had a poverty-triggering effect for people of all educational levels and all social classes. Partnership dissolution affected the poverty-entry risk of women more strongly.
Source: Leen Vandecasteele, 'Life course risks or cumulative disadvantage? The structuring effect of social stratification determinants and life course events on poverty transitions in Europe', European Sociological Review, Volume 27 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Apr
A report examined two key components of the Lisbon Strategy and the Europe 2020 agenda – promoting labour force participation and reducing income inequality. The economic crisis of 2008 had undone much of the progress on improving employment and growth in Europe over the previous 20 years. Vulnerable groups in particular remained at risk of poverty and not being in employment or education. Policy-makers needed to focus more on 'enabling' social policy that allowed individuals to achieve their full productive potential and participate in the labour market, as a complement to welfare approaches such as social insurance.
Source: Christian van Stolk et al., Life after Lisbon: Europe s challenges to promote labour force participation and reduce income inequality, RAND Corporation
Links: Report | Summary | Rand press release
Date: 2011-Apr
A paper examined the relationship between income inequality and redistribution in 15 countries. It employed a 'transplant-and-compare' approach – rendering fiscal regimes into a common base by adjusting for differences in pre-fiscal income inequality, and then measuring the 'pure' effect of tax-and-transfer policies using this benchmark.
Source: Peter Lambert, Runa Nesbakken, and Thor Thoresen, On the Meaning and Measurement of Redistribution in Cross-Country Comparisons, Discussion Paper 649, Statistics Norway
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Mar
An article examined the way in which welfare spending cuts in European countries were distributed between social groups. There was a need to better understand the role of key advisers in order to explain welfare state policy: recommendations made by politically appointed advisers differed systematically from those made by advisers who were not appointed politically.
Source: Carl Dahlstrom, 'Who takes the hit? Ministerial advisers and the distribution of welfare state cuts', Journal of European Public Policy, Volume 18 Issue 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Mar
A report examined the extent of over-indebtedness among households in the European Union. Although high levels of debt relative to income tended to be more prevalent among households with low income than higher levels, this was not invariably the case and the difference between the relative numbers concerned was not large in most countries.
Source: Nicole Fondeville, Erhan Ozdemir, and Terry Ward, Over-Indebtedness: New evidence from the EU-SILC special module, European Commission
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Mar
A paper examined the relationship between fiscal and political decentralization, regional economic development, and income inequality within west European regions. Greater fiscal and political decentralization was associated with lower interpersonal income inequality: but this relationship was far from linear. As regional income rose, further decentralization was connected to a lower decrease or even to an increase in inequality.
Source: Vassilis Tselios, Andres Rodriguez-Pose, Andy Pike, John Tomaney, and Gianpiero Torrisi, Income Inequality, Regional Development and Decentralisation in Western Europe, Discussion Paper 76, Spatial Economics Research Centre (London School of Economics)
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Mar
A report examined rural poverty in Europe. In many countries poverty rates were higher in rural areas. The main contributory factors were demographic issues (out-migration and an ageing population), remoteness and the accompanying limited access to infrastructure and services, lower levels and quality of education, lower employment rates, and less effective social protection.
Source: Theadora Koller, Rural Poverty and Health Systems in the WHO European Region, World Health Organisation (Regional Office for Europe)
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Mar
The European Parliament approved a report calling on the European Commission to cut the gender pay gap by 1 per cent per year, in order to produce a 10 per cent cut by 2020 and help to tackle the problem of female poverty.
Source: Rovana Plumb MEP, Report on the Face of Female Poverty in the European Union, European Parliament
Links: Report | S&D Group press release
Date: 2011-Mar
A paper examined the role of labour market policy and institutional factors in explaining cross-national differences in persistent earnings inequality in Europe. 'High corporatism' emerged as the most effective tool in reducing the adverse effects of macroeconomic shocks on persistent inequality.
Source: Denisa Maria Sologon and Cathal O'Donoghue, Shaping Persistent Earnings Inequality: Labour market policy and institutional factors, Working Paper 2011/22, Centre for Population, Poverty and Public Policy Studies (CEPS/INSTEAD)
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Mar
An article examined how the relationship between employment, earnings, and poverty changed when different approaches to data collection were used for the purposes of the European Union's official statistics on income and living conditions (EU-SILC).
Source: Henning Lohmann, 'Comparability of EU-SILC survey and register data: the relationship among employment, earnings and poverty', Journal of European Social Policy, Volume 21 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Mar
A report examined the extent of financial exclusion across the European Union on the basis of the data collected by the EU-SILC module for 2008. Despite uncertainty over the comparability of the data collected by the module, it was clear that in all countries those with low income were far more likely not to have a bank account than those with higher income levels.
Source: Nicole Fondeville, Erhan Ozdemir, and Terry Ward, Financial Exclusion in the EU: New evidence from the EU-SILC special module, European Commission
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Mar
A trade union report offered a critical assessment of the 'Europe 2020' strategy for growth and social cohesion. It questioned the emphasis on fiscal consolidation at the expense of economic growth and the creation of high-quality jobs. The introduction of a target to reduce poverty was a positive improvement over the previous Lisbon Strategy: but a change in how poverty and social exclusion were measured was at odds with commonly accepted definitions.
Source: Benchmarking Working Europe 2011, European Trade Union Institute
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Mar
A paper examined the regulation of social security and healthcare in European Union law – and the issues of competition, free movement, and state aid that were involved.
Source: Daniele Gallo, Social Security and Health Services in EU Law: Towards convergence or divergence in competition state aids and free movement?, Working Paper 2011/19, Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, European University Institute (Florence)
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Mar
A report examined different dimensions of social exclusion in Europe, including employment, healthcare, housing, and financial exclusion.
Source: Time for Action: Responding to poverty, social exclusion and inequality in Europe and beyond, Social Watch
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Feb
A paper examined whether observed differences in redistributive policies across the European Union and the United States of America were the result of differences in social preferences or efficiency constraints. Differences in social preferences were found to be significant only between broad groups of countries.
Source: Olivier Bargain, Mathias Dolls, Dirk Neumann, Andreas Peichl, and Sebastian Siegloch, Tax-Benefit Systems in Europe and the US: Between equity and efficiency, Working Paper 2011/011, Centre for Population, Poverty and Public Policy Studies (CEPS/INSTEAD)
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Feb
Statistics were published on minimum wages in Europe. 20 of the European Union's 27 member states had national legislation setting a minimum wage by statute or by national intersectoral agreement. Statutory minimum wage levels varied widely.
Source: Minimum Wage Statistics, Eurostat (European Union)
Links: Report | Eurostat press release
Date: 2011-Feb
A new book examined economic inequality, focusing primarily on highly developed countries. Sections included: concepts and theories of inequality; the measurement of economic inequality; and the extent of inequality.
Source: Wiemer Salverda, Brian Nolan, and Timothy Smeeding (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Economic Inequality, Oxford University Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Feb
An article examined cross-national variation in the extent of overall pay inequality, including differences in pay inequality among continental European economies.
Source: Guy Vernon, 'Still accounting for difference? Cross-national comparative joint regulation and pay inequality', Economic and Industrial Democracy, Volume 32 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Feb
A report examined income and living conditions in Europe. Separate chapters covered: household structure; income poverty and income inequality; characteristics of the income-poor and the materially deprived; socio-economic determinants of health; social participation and social isolation; the distribution of employees' labour earnings; educational intensity of employment; in-work poverty; the impact of basic public services on the distribution of income; distributional effects of direct taxes and social transfers; and measuring broader well-being.
Source: Anthony Atkinson and Eric Marlier (eds.), Income and Living Conditions in Europe, Eurostat (European Union)
Links: Report | Eurostat press release
Date: 2011-Feb
A paper examined the link between poverty and discrimination in Europe. It proposed initiatives designed to enable equality bodies and other players in the field of non-discrimination and equality to respond effectively to the challenge posed by the link.
Source: Addressing Poverty and Discrimination: Two sides of the one coin, Equinet (European Network of Equality Bodies)
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Feb
A paper examined models of social justice under private law in the European Union member states. National models were being challenged by a European Union model, in which weaker parties were helped to gain access to market freedoms.
Source: Hans-Wolfgang Micklitz, Social Justice and Access Justice in Private Law, Working Paper LAW 2011/02, European University Institute (Florence)
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Feb
A paper examined the extent to which increased ethnic heterogeneity in European countries might undermine public support for social welfare policies.
Source: Christian Larsen, Ethnic Heterogeneity and Public Support for Welfare Policies: Is the 'black' American experience resembled in Britain, Sweden, and Denmark?, Working Paper 2011-68, Centre for Comparative Welfare Studies (Aalborg University)
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Jan
An article examined the effectiveness of European Union assessments of the social impact of the economic crisis. It recommended ways to strengthen monitoring and social impact assessment as a key tool to prevent long-term damage to European welfare systems and increased poverty.
Source: Sian Jones, 'The social impact of the crisis: is European Union monitoring working?', Journal of Poverty and Social Justice, Volume 18 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Jan
A new book examined the emerging governance of social inclusion in the European Union and the use of the open method of co-ordination as a mechanism of 'Europeanization' of domestic social policy.
Source: Kenneth Armstrong, Governing Social Inclusion: Europeanization through policy coordination, Oxford University Press
Links: Summary
Notes: The open method of co-ordination (OMC) is an intergovernmental means of governance in the European Union, based on the voluntary co-operation of member states rather than the application of legislative measures.
Date: 2011-Jan
A study examined the feasibility of establishing meaningful, agreed methods for measuring 'extreme poverty' in the European Union. It reviewed the methods employed to measure poverty and extreme poverty in EU countries and internationally; and it considered the implications of the results for future work leading up to the 2015 review of the EU target for combating poverty and social exclusion.
Source: Jonathan Bradshaw and Emese Mayhew, The Measurement of Extreme Poverty in the European Union, European Commission
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Jan
A briefing paper examined levels of poverty, and trends in poverty rates, across the European Union in the period 2004-2007. The rate of poverty varied between 9 per cent and 26 per cent across EU member states (based on national standards). Poverty was deeper in countries with higher rates of poverty – that is, people in poverty tended to have lower incomes compared with the poverty threshold value. In the majority of countries there had been no statistically significant change in the at-risk-of-poverty rate over the period examined.
Source: Orsolya Lelkes and Katrin Gasior, Income Poverty in the EU: Situation in 2007 and trends, European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research (Vienna)
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Jan
A synthesis report examined the issue of in-work poverty and labour market segmentation in European Union countries. In most countries there had been relatively little political debate or academic research on in-work poverty. Nor was there any evidence that the European Commission recommendation on active inclusion had so far changed this and led to increased awareness or raised public or political debate. This was despite the fact that In-work poverty was a very extensive problem in the EU: 8.6 per cent of people in work lived below the poverty risk threshold in 2008 – meaning that out of the 81 million income-poor people in the EU, 41 million were workers.
Source: Hugh Frazer and Eric Marlier, In-Work Poverty and Labour Market Segmentation in the EU: Key lessons, EU Network of Independent Experts on Social Inclusion (European Commission)
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Jan
A paper examined how far retirement pension systems in Europe were suited to cover the specific risks faced by flexible workers, particularly women.
Source: Janine Leschke, Flexible Working Lives and Pension Coverage in Europe with a Focus on Women: Lessons to be learned by Germany?, REC-WP 01/2011, Reconciling Work and Welfare in Europe (Edinburgh University)
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Jan
A study examined the relationship between collective bargaining and systems for setting minimum wages in 5 European countries (Croatia, Germany, Spain, Hungary, and the United Kingdom). It focused on the specific roles of social partner organizations (employers and unions) in shaping minimum wage systems.
Source: Damian Grimshaw and Jill Rubery, Minimum Wage Systems and Changing Industrial Relations in Europe: Comparative report, European Commission
Date: 2011-Jan
An article examined the European Union's official measure of poverty (the percentage of the population in households with net disposable incomes less than 60 per cent of the median). This measure was open to criticism, and in particular it underestimated poverty in the newer member states. Some possible additional measures of poverty were reviewed, two of which – one based on deprivation and the other on low income and deprivation – were found to have merit. But some groups in extreme poverty were still likely to be excluded from the statistics, including homeless people.
Source: Jonathan Bradshaw and Emese Mayhew, 'Understanding extreme poverty in the European Union', European Journal of Homelessness, Volume 4
Links: Article
Date: 2011-Jan
A paper examined the relationship between income poverty and material deprivation in 25 European countries (24 European Union member states plus Norway). It sought to identify the most important factors that determined the risk of being income-poor and/or materially deprived.
Source: Alessio Fusco, Anne-Catherine Guio, and Eric Marlier, Income Poverty and Material Deprivation in European Countries, Working Paper 2011/04, Centre for Population, Poverty and Public Policy Studies (CEPS/INSTEAD)
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Jan
A report examined why socio-economic inequalities in Europe were increasing. Economic modernization and labour market deregulation had resulted in employment polarization and widening earnings inequalities that had not been offset by social transfers or other policies.
Source: Diane Perrons and Ania Plomien, Why Socio-Economic Inequalities Increase? Facts and policy responses in Europe, European Commission
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Jan
A paper evaluated income distributions in four European countries (Austria, Italy, Spain, and Hungary) using two complementary approaches: a standard approach based on reported incomes in survey data, and a microsimulation approach, where taxes and benefits were simulated. These two approaches might be expected to generate slightly different results, particularly in respect of individuals on lower incomes, because benefit receipts tended to be under-reported in survey data, and over-estimated in microsimulation procedures. But the two approaches did in fact produce reasonably consistent results, in terms of both inequality measures and poverty rates.
Source: Francesco Figari, Maria Iacovou, Alexandra Skew, and Holly Sutherland, Approximations to the Truth: Comparing survey and microsimulation approaches to measuring income for social indicators, Working Paper 2010-13, Institute for Social and Economic Research (University of Essex)
Links: Working paper | Abstract
Date: 2011-Jan
A group of Christian organizations made recommendations aimed at eradicating poverty and social exclusion, and creating a stronger social Europe. They said that the European Commission's annual policy strategy should include a specific chapter relating to the social clause in the EU (Lisbon) treaty.
Source: Do Not Deny Justice to Your Poor People: Proposals for combating poverty and social exclusion in the European Union in the new framework of the Lisbon Treaty, Caritas Europa/Church and Society Commission of the Conference of European Churches/Secretariat of the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences in the European Community/Eurodiaconia
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Jan
A report by a committee of peers said that there should be an annual debate by the House of Lords of the government's National Reform Programme setting out progress by the United Kingdom on the European Union strategy for inclusive economic growth (2010-2020).
Source: The EU Strategy for Economic Growth and the UK National Reform Programme, 5th Report (Session 2010-11), HL 81, House of Lords European Union Select Committee, TSO
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Jan
An article examined the reliability of income poverty measures based on survey data affected by missing data and measurement error. It considered how to derive upper and lower bounds for the population poverty rate using the sample evidence. Using the European Community Household Panel, the authors computed bounds for the poverty rate in 10 European countries, and examined the sensitivity of poverty comparisons across countries to missing data and measurement error problems.
Source: Cheti Nicoletti, Franco Peracchi, and Francesca Foliano, 'Estimating income poverty in the presence of missing data and measurement error', Journal of Business and Economic Statistics, Volume 29 Number 1
Links: Abstract | ISER paper
Date: 2011-Jan
An article examined moves towards pan-European pension funds, following a European Commission Directive in 2003. Whereas the elimination of financial and tax barriers had proceeded smoothly, harmonization of the social and labour components within the occupational pension domain had not occurred. Nonetheless the road towards a single occupational pension market was still open, with the first positive results emerging from the greater involvement of corporate and supranational actors.
Source: Igor Guardiancich, 'Pan-European pension funds: current situation and future prospects', International Social Security Review, Volume 64 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Jan
A paper examined the relationship between foreign direct investment (FDI) and income inequality for a sample of 10 European countries over the period 1980-2000. FDI had a positive short-run effect on income inequality: but the long-run effect was negative on average.
Source: Dierk Herzer and Peter Nunnenkamp, FDI and Income Inequality: Evidence from Europe, Working Paper 1675, Kiel Institute for the World Economy
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Jan
