A new book examined the impact of the global economic recession on household incomes in developed countries.
Source: Stephen Jenkins, Andrea Brandolini, John Micklewright, and Brian Nolan (eds), The Great Recession and the Distribution of Household Income, Oxford University Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Dec
A paper examined wage inequality and wage mobility in Europe. It considered the extent to which wage inequality and mobility could be explained by observable characteristics, and which individual and household characteristics determined transitions within the wage distribution. It also looked at the importance of institutions for wage inequality, wage mobility, and wage transitions. Overall, mobility was found to reduce wage inequality. While a large part of wage inequality was due to unobservable characteristics, the equalizing effect of mobility mainly occurred within groups. Both personal and household characteristics played an important role in wage transitions. There were large cross-country differences, partly linked to national labour market institutions.
Source: Ronald Bachmann, Peggy Bechara, and Sandra Schaffner, Wage Inequality and Wage Mobility in Europe, Ruhr Economic Papers 386, Universities of Bochum, Dortmund, Duisburg, and Essen (Germany)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Dec
A paper examined the determinants of preferences for redistribution in 33 European countries over the period 2002–2010. Income inequality affected positively the individual demand for redistribution, and the actual level of redistribution implemented in a country decreased support for more redistribution. Increases in income inequality over time raised the demand for redistribution.
Source: Javier Olivera, Preferences for Redistribution in Europe, WP2012/25, Geary Institute (University College Dublin)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Dec
An article examined and compared the effectiveness of minimum income schemes for working-age people in 14 European Union countries. In several countries, some people were ineligible for a minimum income even when they fell below a poverty line set at 40 per cent of median income. With respect to adequacy, in certain countries a large fraction of those entitled to a minimum income remained at very low levels of income. Overall, minimum income schemes in Europe remained divergent, and their clustering might be more complex than had hitherto been allowed for.
Source: Francesco Figari, Manos Matsaganis, and Holly Sutherland, 'Are European social safety nets tight enough? Coverage and adequacy of minimum income schemes in 14 EU countries', International Journal of Social Welfare, Volume 22 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Dec
A paper examined the redistributive impact of imputed rent (private and public) and indirect taxes (value added tax and excise duties), comparing this with the effects of cash transfers and direct taxes in five European Union countries (including the United Kingdom). It was found that indirect taxes had a regressive effect with respect to income in all countries considered, but always smaller in magnitude than other tax-benefit instruments. Imputed rent reduced overall inequality in particular where the prevalence of individuals living in their own accommodation was high even among the poorest groups (Greece) and where the contribution of the public imputed rent was large (the UK).
Source: Francesco Figari and Alari Paulus, The Impact of Indirect Taxes and Imputed Rent on Inequality: A comparison with cash transfers and direct taxes in five EU countries, Discussion Paper 28, GINI Project (European Commission)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Dec
An article examined how well welfare models in European Union countries with different financing mechanisms had coped with the global financial crisis. In the short or medium term, contribution-based social systems had more stable public finances during a recession than tax-based systems. The corporatist/continental welfare model seemed most likely to remain stable in the long run, in so far as it focused on keeping employment – the system's main source of revenue – stable.
Source: Norman Wagner, 'Financing social security in the EU: business as usual?', International Labour Review, Volume 151 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Dec
An article compared the prevalence and characteristics of lone parent families in Europe, analyzed the poverty and deprivation risks of children, and evaluated the potential impact of social transfer income packages on child poverty reduction. Lower child poverty rates were found in countries with more generous social transfers, even after controlling for the country standard of living. A reverse pattern was observed for material deprivation: the negative effect of social transfer income washed out when national income per capita was controlled for, which itself had a negative and significant effect on material deprivation.
Source: Yekaterina Chzhen and Jonathan Bradshaw, 'Lone parents, poverty and policy in the European Union', Journal of European Social Policy, Volume 22 Number 5
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Dec
An article examined the implications of the global economic crisis for pensions and pension policy in Europe. The crisis had affected pensions in both the short and longer term. It had forced politicians to address the consequences of societal ageing, while exposing the fallibility of funded schemes as a source of pension security. Fundamental questions about the prolongation of working lives remained to be resolved.
Source: Bernard Casey, 'The implications of the economic crisis for pensions and pension policy in Europe', Global Social Policy, Volume 12 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Dec
An article examined attempts to reduce employment benefits in developed (OECD) countries over the period 1985 to 2008. It found that strict employment protection was quite compatible with more spending on active labour market policies and unemployment compensation.
Source: Jose Aleman, 'Active or passive? Reforming employment benefits in the OECD', Review of European Studies, Volume 4 Number 5
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Dec
An article said that changes in European pensions policy were creating opportunities for cost savings, simplification of cross-border arrangements, and commercial joint ventures.
Source: Robin Ellison, 'European pensions policy and the impact of the EU pensions directive for employers worldwide', Pensions: An International Journal, Volume 17 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Dec
A paper examined the relationship between home-ownership and inequality in western Europe. Home-ownership helped to counterbalance wider inequalities in the income distribution in 1997, particularly in southern Europe: but by 2007 home-ownership played a less significant role in these countries. In the other relatively unequal countries, home-ownership was enabled by more widespread mortgage indebtedness, and played less of a role in counterbalancing income inequality.
Source: Michelle Norris and Nessa Winston, Home Ownership and Income Inequalities in Western Europe: Access, affordability and quality, Discussion Paper 41, GINI Project (European Commission)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Dec
An article examined the income support role of means-tested housing allowances in European Union countries. Housing allowances varied both within and between welfare regimes. They were not simply a liberal policy instrument: they were employed extensively within social democratic and conservative welfare regimes, and they were not only focused on the poorest households. Housing allowances had a significant impact on disposable incomes (after housing costs) and had an important income support function.
Source: Julia Griggs and Peter Kemp, 'Housing allowances as income support: comparing European welfare regimes', International Journal of Housing Policy, Volume 12 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Dec
A report summarized the main findings by independent experts of the extent to which measures outlined in national reform programmes (NRPs) and national social reports (NSRs) were likely to ensure progress towards the social inclusion objectives in the Europe 2020 strategy for inclusive growth. It also put forward suggestions for strengthening the social inclusion dimension of the NRP process in future.
Source: Hugh Frazer and Eric Marlier, Assessment of Progress towards the Europe 2020 Social Inclusion Objectives, European Commission
Links: Report | European Commission press release
Date: 2012-Dec
A paper calculated the proportion of households in Europe whose income ranking changed after the inclusion of imputed rent (the non-cash advantage of owning a home). Overall about 18 per cent of households before taxes, and 32 per cent after taxes, were re-ranked.
Source: Virginia Maestri, Imputed Rent and Income Re-Ranking: Evidence from EU-SILC data, Discussion Paper 29, GINI Project (European Commission)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Dec
In 2011, 119.6 million people, or 24.2 per cent of the EU population, were at risk of poverty or social exclusion, compared with 23.4 per cent in 2010 and 23.5 per cent in 2008. This meant that they were at least one of the following: at risk of poverty, severely materially deprived, or living in households with very low work intensity.
Source: Press release 3 December 2012, Eurostat (European Union)
Links: Eurostat press release
Date: 2012-Dec
A new book examined poverty in Europe. It said that a 'non-negligible' proportion of inhabitants lived in impoverished conditions – 'albeit mainly relative poverty' – and were denied their rights. The economic and financial crisis had resulted in the loss of millions of jobs, and created job insecurity for many still working. Economic insecurity raised social tensions, for example aggravating xenophobia. But the economic and financial crisis could present a good opportunity to rethink the economic and social system as a whole.
Source: Redefining and Combating Poverty: Human rights, democracy and common goods in today's Europe, Council of Europe
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Dec
A paper examined the key drivers of material (non-monetary) deprivation across European Union countries and over time – with a particular focus on the role of growth (or decline) in average income, and the relationship, if any, between material deprivation and income inequality. An increase in the level of income inequality was found to be associated with an increase in material deprivation.
Source: Emma Calvert and Brian Nolan, Material Deprivation in Europe, Discussion Paper 68, GINI Project (European Commission)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Dec
An article examined 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. It was found that 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 down relative income poverty in the EU? Regression-based simulations of the Europe 2020 target', Journal of European Social Policy, Volume 22 Number 5
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Dec
An article examined the impact of the global economic crisis on employment, earnings, inequality, and poverty in 5 European Union countries (including the United Kingdom) during the period 2008– 2010. Real wages had reacted countercyclically in most countries, thus diverging from the pattern observed in previous recessions. There was considerable cross-national variation in the severity and direction of changes in terms of inequality and poverty rates. But inequality might widen because of the potentially regressive effects of the austerity programmes.
Source: Paul De Beer, 'Earnings and income inequality in the EU during the crisis', International Labour Review, Volume 151 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Dec
An article said that the increased concentration of income over the previous three decades had led to more fragile and unstable economies, making it a key cause of the 2008 global economic crash and of the subsequent lack of recovery. Models of capitalism that failed to share the proceeds of growth more evenly would eventually self-destruct. More equal societies had softer business cycles. In contrast, more unequal economies were associated with more extreme cycles, with exaggerated booms, deeper falls, and extended troughs. The scale of inequality was not just an issue about fairness and proportionality: it was integral to economic health.
Source: Stewart Lansley, 'Inequality, the crash and the ongoing crisis', Political Quarterly, Volume 83 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Dec
In 2010 the proportion of employees in the European Union on low wages amounted to 17 per cent. This proportion varied significantly between member states, with the highest percentages observed in Latvia (27.8 per cent) and the lowest in Sweden (2.5 per cent). The figure for the United Kingdom was 22.1 per cent.
Source: Press release 20 December 2012, Eurostat (European Union)
Links: Eurostat press release
Notes: Low-wage earners were defined as those employees earning two-thirds or less of national median gross hourly earnings.
Date: 2012-Dec
A paper examined minimum income policies for elderly people in Europe, and developed a typology based on entitlement and eligibility criteria. In the 2000s welfare erosion of elderly persons' non-contributory minimum income guarantees had been limited. Moreover, a substantial number of countries had pursued a deliberate policy of increases in minimum income benefits for elderly people. Nonetheless, only in a few countries were benefits were adequate to lift elderly people above the poverty line. At the same time, differences between European Union member states in terms of mode of access and benefit levels remained large.
Source: Tim Goedeme, Recent Trends in Minimum Income Protection for Europe's Elderly, Discussion Paper 27, GINI Project (European Commission)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Dec
A report examined the role played by the social partners in the development, implementation, and monitoring of unemployment benefit regimes in the European Union. In general, the role ultimately played by the social partner organizations in the face of economic crisis varied considerably according to the institutional factors defining their involvement and their ability to look for and grasp new opportunities for action.
Source: Ida Regalia and Stefano Gasparri, Social Partners' Involvement in Unemployment Benefit Regimes in Europe, European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions
Links: Report
Date: 2012-Dec
An article examined the link between financialization (the growing importance of the financial sector) and income inequality in OECD countries over the period 1995–2007. There was a strong correlation between several of the financialization indicators and income inequality, net of conventional explanations.
Source: Basak Kus, 'Financialisation and income inequality in OECD nations: 1995–2007', Economic and Social Review, Volume 43 Number 4
Links: Article
Date: 2012-Dec
A report said that the circumstances of children and families across Europe had seriously deteriorated during 2012. The worsening trend was evident in access to adequate resources, access to quality services, and children's participation.
Source: Sandy Ruxton (ed.), How the Economic and Financial Crisis Is Affecting Children & Young People in Europe, Eurochild
Links: Report | Eurochild press release
Date: 2012-Dec
A paper examined the interrelationships in European Union countries between work, social redistribution, and poverty. It considered how contemporary European welfare states had responded to change, and the emergence of the European social agenda and its underlying 'social investment paradigm'. Most of the 'old' EU states had not succeeded in closing the 'virtuous circle' of growth, employment, and social inclusion as put forward under the Lisbon strategy. The social investment paradigm had led to an overestimate of the potential of activation and developmental strategies, and an underestimate of the importance of redistribution, social protection, and care for the most vulnerable groups.
Source: Bea Cantillon, Virtuous Cycles or Vicious Circles? The need for an EU agenda on protection, social distribution and investment, Discussion Paper 52, GINI Project (European Commission)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Dec
An article said that there was no evidence that social expenditure had been shifting in favour of retired people at the expense of children in developed (OECD) countries, except perhaps recently in some Nordic countries. In the United Kingdom, support for retired people had shifted slightly in their favour as compared with children: but it was the result of a change in the original income distribution, not changes in taxes, benefits, or services in kind.
Source: Jonathan Bradshaw and John Holmes, 'An analysis of equity in redistribution to the retired and children over recent decades in the OECD and UK', Journal of Social Policy, Volume 42 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Dec
An article examined whether public support for redistribution in European countries was affected by the number of people experiencing economic strain in a country. Individuals reporting economic strain were found to support redistribution more strongly than those who did not experience economic strain. Further, individuals living in countries where many other people reported economic strain also supported redistribution more strongly than individuals living in countries with less economic strain. The results indicated that governments would receive more rather than less public support for redistributive policies during periods of economic strain.
Source: Morten Blekesaune, 'Economic strain and public support for redistribution: a comparative analysis of 28 European countries', Journal of Social Policy, Volume 42 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Dec
A paper examined the middle classes in Europe, including the questions of how they should be defined, and whether they were declining in size.
Source: Regis Bigot, Patricia Croutte, Jorg Muller, and Guillaume Osier, The Middle Classes in Europe: Evidence from the LIS data, Working Paper 580, Luxembourg Income Study
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Nov
A paper examined the relationship between business cycles and inequality in developed (OECD) countries. At the business cycle frequencies, income inequality was counter-cyclical, whereas consumption inequality was pro-cyclical. There was a stronger correlation of the business cycle with inequality in hours of work than in hourly wages. There was 'considerable evidence' of a two-way causal relationship between macroeconomic variables and inequality at the business cycle frequencies.
Source: Virginia Maestri and Andrea Roventini, Stylized Facts on Business Cycles and Inequality, Discussion Paper 30, GINI Project (European Commission)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Nov
A briefing paper provided an overview of European Union policies and approaches towards active inclusion and social innovation. It suggested enhancing the Commission's active inclusion strategy with a 'learning society' approach, and strengthening integration between different strategy strands.
Source: Adeline Otto and Elsa Laino, Facing New Challenges: Promoting active inclusion through social innovation, SOLIDAR
Links: Briefing
Date: 2012-Nov
A report said that public social spending had increased to 22 per cent of national income on average across developed (OECD) countries in 2012, up from 19 per cent in 2007. This was due to increased government expenditure on social supports (such as unemployment and income support benefits) combined with stagnating or declining national income in many countries. The United Kingdom, along with Ireland, spent the most on family benefits, at around 4.2 per cent of national income.
Source: Social Spending after the Crisis, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Links: Report | OECD press release
Date: 2012-Nov
A new book examined minimum income protection policies in Europe and the United States of America.
Source: Ive Marx and Kenneth Nelson (eds), Minimum Income Protection in Flux, Palgrave Macmillan
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Nov
A paper compared the level, composition, and distribution of household wealth in five industrial countries: the United Kingdom, United States of America, Italy, Finland, and Sweden. Increases in owner-occupation and house prices in the UK over the period 2000–2005 had led to substantial increases in wealth, particularly median wealth holdings: this had led to falls in relative measures of wealth inequality such as the Gini coefficient, even though absolute gaps between high- and low-wealth households had grown substantially. There were underlying country differences in terms of distributions of age, household composition, educational attainment, and income, as well as wealth and debt portfolios. Educational loans were increasing in their size and prevalence in some countries and looked set to create some marked differences in the distribution of wealth for different age cohorts.
Source: Frank Cowell, Eleni Karagiannaki, and Abigail McKnight, Mapping and Measuring the Distribution of Household Wealth: A cross-country analysis, LWS Working Paper 12, Luxembourg Income Study
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Nov
An article examined inequality of opportunity in 23 European countries in 2005.
Source: Gustavo Marrero and Juan Gabriel Rodriguez, 'Inequality of opportunity in Europe', Review of Income and Wealth, Volume 58 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Nov
A paper examined the relationship between wage inequality and education in 13 developed (OECD) countries (including the United Kingdom) over the period 1985–2005. The increase in wage inequality in the countries considered could only partially be accounted for by observable characteristics such as education and educational premia.
Source: Camilla Mastromarco, Vito Peragine, and Laura Serlenga, Return to Education and Income Inequality in Europe and the US, Discussion Paper 69, GINI Project (European Commission)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Nov
A paper examined the relationship between economic and political conditions and support for democracy in developed countries. Support for democracy tended to be highest in countries with a high level of economic development: but income inequality mattered much more. Citizens from countries with relatively low levels of income inequality tended to be more likely than others to support democracy. Household income was positively related to support for democracy in most countries: but the effect was strongest if economic development was high and income inequality was low.
Source: Robert Andersen, Support for Democracy in Cross-National Perspective: The detrimental effect of economic inequality, Discussion Paper 47, GINI Project (European Commission)
Links: Paper
See also: Robert Andersen, 'Support for democracy in cross-national perspective: the detrimental effect of economic inequality', Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, Volume 30 Issue 4
Date: 2012-Nov
An article examined the prevalence of fuel poverty in the European Union. Fuel poverty was particularly high in eastern and southern states.
Source: Harriet Thomson and Carolyn Snell, 'Quantifying the prevalence of fuel poverty across the European Union', Energy Policy, Volume 52
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Nov
A paper said that although people in poverty had the greatest need to turn to networks to compensate for the shortage of other forms of capital, they were always disadvantaged in terms of networks mobilization compared with other groups.
Source: Natalia Letki and Inta Mierina, The Power of Networks. Individual and contextual determinants of mobilising social networks for help, Discussion Paper 45, GINI Project (European Commission)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Nov
An article examined the macroeconomic and institutional determinants of inequality and poverty in the European Union over the period 1994 2008. Social transfers in cash, and principally the transfers that did not include pensions, exerted a prominent impact on inequality and poverty. The impact of employment on inequality and poverty was not empirically sound. The same held for the labour market institutions: an exception was union density, which appeared conducive to a less dispersed personal income distribution. The results supported the view that the social protection system acted as a catalyst in determining the effectiveness of social spending and the distributive role of economic growth and employment.
Source: Yannis Dafermos and Christos Papatheodorou, 'What drives inequality and poverty in the EU? Exploring the impact of macroeconomic and institutional factors', International Review of Applied Economics, Volume 27 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Nov
An article said that many European countries still provided their citizens with social insurance programmes of 'unprecedented generosity'. However, a cultural critique of the welfare state, which contended that generous social insurance had detrimental effects on work norms, was found to have 'fragile' theoretical and empirical support. Empirical evidence also suggested that weaker work norms need not harm economic performance.
Source: Giacomo Corneo, 'Work norms and the welfare state', CESifo Economic Studies, Volume 58 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Nov
An article provided a comparative analysis of patterns of deprivation in Europe. It identified six relatively distinct dimensions of deprivation. Systematic variation was found in the importance of within- and between-country variation for a range of deprivation dimensions. The basic deprivation dimension was the sole dimension to display a graduated pattern of variation across countries. It also revealed the highest correlations with national and household income, the remaining deprivation dimensions, and economic stress. It came closest to capturing an underlying dimension of generalized deprivation that could provide the basis for a comparative European analysis of exclusion from customary standards of living. A multilevel analysis revealed that a range of household characteristics and household reference person socio-economic factors were related to basic deprivation and controlling for contextual differences in such factors made it possible to account for substantial proportions of both within- and between-country variance. The addition of macro-economic factors relating to average levels of disposable income and income inequality contributed relatively little further in the way of explanatory power. Further analysis revealed the existence of a set of significant interactions between micro socio-economic attributes and country-level gross national disposable income per capita. The analysis supported the suggestion that an emphasis on the primary role of income inequality to the neglect of differences in absolute levels of income might be misleading in important respects.
Source: Christopher Whelan and Bertrand Maitre, 'Understanding material deprivation: a comparative European analysis', Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, Volume 30 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Nov
An article examined the relationship between income inequality and solidarity (willingness to contribute to the welfare of other people) among Europeans. There was evidence that in more unequal countries people were less willing to take action to improve the living conditions of other people. This was true for respondents living in both low- and high-income households.
Source: Marii Paskov and Caroline Dewilde, 'Income inequality and solidarity in Europe', Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, Volume 30 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Nov
An article examined the evolution of different economies in which redistributive policies, perception of fairness, inequality and growth were jointly determined. Including beliefs about fairness could keep two otherwise identical countries on different development paths for a very long time. Different initial conditions regarding the 'fairness' of the same level of inequality could lead to two permanently different steady states. The authors also explored how bequest taxation could be an efficient way of redistributing wealth to correct 'unfair' past accumulation of inequality.
Source: Alberto Alesina, Guido Cozzi, and Noemi Mantovan, 'The evolution of ideology, fairness and redistribution', Economic Journal, Volume 122 Issue 565
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Nov
A paper examined trends in minimum income guarantees for able-bodied persons of working age in Europe and three American states. The broad picture was one of eroding benefit levels relative to the general living standard. In the 1990s benefit levels had declined almost everywhere, although the decline had been less uniform since then. In the countries where benefits had kept pace with average wages or median equivalent income, this was generally because governments (consciously) increased benefits over and above the growth in average living standards.
Source: Natascha Van Mechelen and Sarah Marchal, Struggle for Life: Social assistance benefits, 1992–2009, Discussion Paper 55, GINI Project (European Commission)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Nov
A paper proposed an aggregate measure of employment deprivation among households in Europe, reflecting the incidence of household unemployment (how many households were touched by the lack of employment of any of its members), its intensity (how far were households on average from being employment non-deprived), and inequality of employment exclusion across households (how concentrated was unemployment in a few of them).
Source: Carlos Gradin, Olga Cant, and Coral del Rio, Measuring Employment Deprivation among Households in the EU, Working Paper 2012-247, ECINEQ: Society for the Study of Economic Inequality
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Nov
A report made a set of policy recommendations on child poverty, health, and well-being in Europe, aimed at preventing and tackling child poverty by addressing health promotion and disease in the child population.
Source: Recommendation on Child Poverty, Health and Well-Being, European Public Health Alliance
Links: Report | EPHA press release
Date: 2012-Nov
A paper examined the relationship between poverty and mortality across 26 developed countries over time, focusing on three groups – infants, children, and working-age adults.
Source: Johan Fritzell, Olli Kangas, Jennie Bacchus Hertzman, Jenni Blomgren, and Heikki Hiilamo, Cross-Temporal and Cross-National Poverty and Mortality Rates among Developed Countries, Discussion Paper 64, GINI Project (European Commission)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Nov
The European Commission proposed the creation of a fund to help the most deprived persons in the European Union. The fund would support schemes in member states providing food to the most deprived people, and clothing and other essential goods to homeless people and materially deprived children. The Commission envisaged a budget of €2.5 billion for the fund over the period 2014-2020. Member states would be responsible for paying 15 per cent of the costs of their national programmes, with the remaining 85 per cent coming from the fund.
Source: Press release 24 October 2012, European Commission
Links: European Commission press release | Inside Housing report
Date: 2012-Oct
An article said that promoting social protection in Europe as part of a social investment approach was an excellent means of reconciling the objectives of equal opportunity over the life cycle, sustained economic performance, and strengthened social cohesion. It emphasized the need to promote universal and individual rights to mobility and lifelong training, which would constitute new social guarantees, offsetting requirements linked to labour market flexibility. It also highlighted the importance of incorporating these rights throughout the European Union as part of a wider social protection floor. This would offer permanent protection against the risk of exclusion, promote the economic and social integration sought since the revised Lisbon Strategy, and create confidence and hope among Europe's citizens.
Source: Chantal Euzeby, 'Social protection to achieve sustainable inclusion: a European imperative in the current economic crisis', International Social Security Review, Volume 65 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Oct
A paper provided an approach to poverty measurement that relied on the interpretation of poverty as a welfare loss. It introduced the notion of 'distributive impact of poverty' (a measure of the poverty loss due to inequality among people in poverty). A welfare inequality measure could be expressed as the sum of the average individual welfare poverty plus the distributive impact of poverty. The author illustrated this approach in relation to educational poverty in developed (OECD) countries.
Source: Antonio Villar, Welfare-Poverty measurement, Working Paper ECON 12.02, Pablo de Olavide University. Seville (Spain)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Oct
A paper examined the gendered nature of multi-dimensional poverty in European countries. Gender was a prime factor in explaining why some people were at risk of poverty rather than others. The authors computed poverty indexes based on the incomes definitely attributable to individuals in a household (such as income from paid work), and assume only that the rest were equally shared. Based on the resulting 'dependency rate', more than half of all married or cohabiting women were found to be at risk of poverty in a number of countries, including Germany, Spain, the Netherlands and Austria. In the United Kingdom, the figure approached 40 per cent.
Source: Fabrizio Botti, Marcella Corsi, and Carlo D Ippoliti, The Gendered Nature of Multidimensional Poverty in the European Union, Working Paper 12/026, Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management, Centre Emile Bernheim (Brussels)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Oct
A report summarized the findings of a European research project that considered the impacts of inequalities in education and income/wealth on political and cultural outcomes. The growth in inequality had been variously found to result in:
• Greater acceptance of inequality.
• No significant effect on dissatisfaction with the level of perceived inequality.
• A reduction in all forms of political, civic, social, and cultural participation.
• Stronger support for redistribution.
Source: Herman Van de Werfhorst, Istvan Gyorgy Toth, Daniel Horn, Marton Medgyesi, Natascha Notten, Christina Haas, and Brian Burgoon, Political and Cultural Impacts of Growing Inequalities, Intermediate Work Package 5 Report, GINI Project (European Commission)
Links: Report
Date: 2012-Oct
A paper provided comparative evidence on unemployment outcomes across a selected group of European Union countries (including the United Kingdom) before and after the start of the global economic crisis, taking into account the duration of unemployment spells and their distribution across the population. The apparent homogeneity in unemployment experiences across countries concealed a large heterogeneity regarding duration profiles. The most straightforward differences appeared between Germany on the one side, with predominantly long-term unemployment, and Spain and the UK on the other side, with high rotation between employment and unemployment and thus shorter spells.
Source: Carlos Gradin, Olga Canto, and Coral del Rio, Unemployment and Spell Duration during the Great Recession in the EU, Working Paper 12/05, Department of Applied Economics, Universidade de Vigo (Spain)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Oct
An article examined the distributional effects of shifts from public to private pension provision in 15 European countries for the period 1995 2007. No evidence was found that shifts from public to private pension provision had led to higher levels of income inequality or poverty among older people.
Source: Olaf van Vliet, Jim Been, Koen Caminada, and Kees Goudswaard, 'Pension reform and income inequality among older people in 15 European countries', International Journal of Social Welfare, Volume 21 Issue Supplement s1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Oct
A paper examined the impact of the global economic crisis on household incomes in developed (OECD) countries. For most countries, there was little change in household income distributions in the two years following the downturn (in 2007): but in the subsequent 5-10 years much greater change was likely, as a result of governments' fiscal consolidation and the slow pace of economic recovery. The social safety nets developed since the Great Depression therefore played an important cushioning role in the short term.
Source: John Micklewright, The Impact of the Great Recession on the Incomes of Households, Working Paper 12-07, Department of Quantitative Social Science, Institute of Education (University of London)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Oct
The Council of the European Union adopted a statement on tackling child poverty. It said that measures should be taken to avoid losing the political momentum on the issue in the wake of the economic and fiscal crisis, which had resulted in a rise in relative and absolute forms of child poverty and social exclusion. Member states should consider treating child poverty/social exclusion/well-being as one of the key issues of the social dimension of the Europe 2020 strategy and of the reinvigorated social 'open method of co-ordination' (OMC). Full use should be made of existing tools to improve monitoring and reporting on child poverty, as well as the evaluation of policies.
Source: Preventing and Tackling Child Poverty and Social Exclusion and Promoting Children's Well-Being, European Union
Links: Statement | European Union press release | Eurochild press release
Date: 2012-Oct
A report examined the emerging policy implications of a European Union-funded project on poverty. Although giving more people access to work was important for a wide range of reasons, increasing the proportion of people in work did not automatically translate into less poverty and inequality. The report highlighted the key importance of adequate minimum income protection provisions for workers and non-workers alike. Adequate poverty relief did, however, require more than minimally adequate social safety nets: it required substantial social spending channelled through various programmes. Programmes exclusively or very strongly targeted at those in poverty had historically tended to be less effective in reducing poverty than expected: targeting within universalism broadly appeared to be the model to aim for. The best performers among the European countries in terms of economic, employment, social cohesion, and equality outcomes had one thing in common – a large welfare state that sought to do several things at the same time, investing in people, stimulating and supporting them to be active, and also adequately protecting them and their children when everything else failed.
Source: Ive Marx and Tim Van Rie, Policy Analysis, Intermediate Work Package 6 Report, GINI Project (European Commission)
Links: Report
Date: 2012-Oct
An article examined the European Commission's advocacy of international (minimum) social security standards by newly accessing states, and the impact on national social security provisions.
Source: Tineke Dijkhoff, 'The contested value of international social security standards in the European Union', European Journal of Social Security, Volume 2012 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Oct
A background paper examined the situation in relation to child poverty/social exclusion/well-being in the European Union. It outlined the EU policy context and summarized recent developments. It identified a series of key challenges that needed to be addressed in order to make progress on the issue, and outlined the next key steps that could usefully be taken.
Source: Hugh Frazer and Eric Marlier, Current Situation in Relation to Child Poverty and Child Wellbeing: EU policy context, key challenges ahead and ways forward, European Commission
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Oct
A report examined the key channels of influence and causal relationships through which the social impacts of inequality could potentially arise, drawing on a large-scale European research project. It focused on five areas: poverty, deprivation, and social 'risks'; gender, the family, and fertility; health and health inequalities; wealth, inter-generational transmission, and housing; and social cohesion and well-being. It highlighted the perpetual character of many forms of social disadvantage, whereby the impact of past inequalities could themselves lead to future inequalities both for the individuals concerned but also for their children.
Source: Abigail McKnight and Brian Nolan, Social Impacts of Inequalities, Intermediate Work Package 4 Report, GINI Project (European Commission)
Links: Report
Date: 2012-Oct
A report summarized the findings of a European research project that considered the drivers of growing inequalities in education, income, and wealth. The main drivers of growing income inequalities were identified as: globalization; skill-biased technical change; labour market reforms; changes in household structure and assortative mating; the increasing importance of capital earnings; and changes in taxation and transfers.
Source: Gabriele Ballarino, Francesco Bogliacino, Michela Braga, Massimiliano Bratti, Daniele Checchi, Antonio Filippin, Virginia Maestri, Elena Meschi, and Francesco Scervini, Drivers of Growing Inequalities, Intermediate Work Package 3 Report, GINI Project (European Commission)
Links: Report
Date: 2012-Oct
A paper examined intra-generational income mobility in European countries over the years shortly preceding the global economic crisis. It identified the microeconomic drivers of household income mobility, focusing on the role of household and household head demographic, economic, and job characteristics. The levels and determinants of mobility differed 'remarkably' in the various institutional models across Europe, particularly regarding demographic attributes, education, and temporary/permanent/self-employment positions.
Source: David Aristei and Cristiano Perugini, The Drivers of Income Mobility in Europe, Working Paper 2012-262, ECINEQ: Society for the Study of Economic Inequality
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Oct
A paper examined improved measures of material deprivation (MD) in European Union countries. It focused on an ad hoc MD module that was included in the 2009 wave of EU-SILC, in order to help prepare the required revision of the MD variables by 2015. These analyses included a detailed assessment of the dimensional structure of the whole set of 50 MD items from the 2009 wave of EU-SILC as well as their suitability, validity, reliability, and additivity. The aggregation of MD items was also analyzed, and robust MD indicators for the whole population and for children were proposed.
Source: Anne-Catherine Guio, David Gordon, and Eric Marlier, Measuring Material Deprivation in the EU: Indicators for the whole population and child-specific indicators – 2012 edition, Eurostat (European Union)
Links: Paper
Notes: EU-SILC = European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions. The concept of MD is based on the affordability of a selection of items (goods or services) that are considered to be necessary or desirable for people to have an 'acceptable' standard of living in the country where they live.
Date: 2012-Oct
An article used panel data from 18 western countries from 1987 to 2007 to test the effect of family policies and other welfare policies on child poverty rates. All three of the main family policies studied – child cash and tax benefits, paid parenting leave, and public support for childcare – correlated significantly with lower child poverty rates. Disability and sickness insurance also correlated significantly with lower child poverty in nearly every model and test.
Source: Daniel Engster, 'Child poverty and family policies across eighteen wealthy western democracies', Journal of Children and Poverty, Volume 18 Issue 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Sep
A report summarized the findings of a cross-national study of the intergenerational transmission of advantage, involving a co-ordinated set of 16 studies across 10 mainly European countries (including England) with different levels of inequality. Differences in child outcomes by parental socio-economic status emerged early; they did not narrow over the life course, and actually widened in the case of England. Parental background was important early in life, in school, and in related neighbourhood choices. Education systems also mattered: but the evidence indicated that their net effect was not to reduce the relationship between parental socio-economic status and child achievement as the child moved through the education system. The report concluded that it was possible to provide more equal life-chances than was the case in the countries such as the United Kingdom and United States of America without violating family autonomy or the principle of merit.
Source: Report on Crita Project, Sutton Trust
Links: Report | ATL press release
Date: 2012-Sep
An article examined the evolution of inequality in well-being across European Union countries between 1994 and 2001. It focused on the effect of both the dispersion of well-being attributes across individuals and the interaction among attributes on the measurement of multi-dimensional well-being.
Source: Elisabetta Croci Angelini and Alessandra Michelangeli, 'Axiomatic measurement of multidimensional well-being inequality: some distributional questions', Journal of Socio-Economics, Volume 41 Issue 5
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Sep
A paper examined the relationship between income inequality and access to housing for low-income households in Europe. No relationship was found between inequality and housing affordability – the level of resources mattered, rather than their distribution. There was a positive relationship between inequality and crowding for owners. Higher levels of income inequality were associated with lower housing quality for owners and renters. Although there was a relationship between inequality and access to housing, it was complex and not mediated by house price changes.
Source: Caroline Dewilde and Bram Lancee, Income Inequality and Access to Housing in Europe, Discussion Paper 32, GINI Project (European Commission)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Sep
An article examined whether the labour share (wage-productivity gap) was a major factor in the evolution of inequality and employment, using data for the United States of America, United Kingdom, and Sweden. During the 1990s the cost of a 1 per cent increase in employment was a 0.7-0.9 per cent increase in inequality in all three countries. However, in the 2000s, whereas the inequality-employment sensitivity ratio fell slightly in the United States of America, it exceeded unity in the other countries. In the UK a 1 per cent growth in employment was achieved at the expense of 1.3 per cent worsening in income inequality. The inequality-employment sensitivity ratio could be viewed as a barometer of socio-economic pressure.
Source: Marika Karanassou and Hector Sala, 'Inequality and employment sensitivities to the falling labour share', Economic and Social Review, Volume 43 Number 3
Links: Article
Date: 2012-Sep
A study found that a rise in the profit share of national income in advanced economies was linked to a rise in inequality of incomes and in poverty. Policies targeting liberalization, deregulation, and in general the slow erosion of the welfare state, were the major factors explaining the observed trends.
Source: Olivier Giovannoni, Functional Distribution of Income, Inequality and the Incidence of Poverty: Stylized facts and the role of macroeconomic policy, United Nations Research Institute for Social Development
Links: Report
Date: 2012-Sep
A paper exploited data on income satisfaction to construct an evidence-based poverty line for European countries. It suggested a time-stable poverty line similar to the definition provided by the European Commission as 60 per cent of the median income. Differences between the poverty lines in individual countries could be explained by the income inequality of the country in the form of inequality aversion, resulting in poverty lines that were higher percentages of the median when inequality was lower.
Source: Andos Juhasz, A Satisfaction-Driven Poverty Indicator: A bustle around the poverty line, SOEP 461-2012, German Institute for Economic Research
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Sep
A paper used harmonized wealth data and a novel decomposition approach to highlight cohort effects in the income profiles of asset and debt portfolios for a sample of European countries and the United States of America.
Source: Eva Sierminska and Karina Doorley, Decomposing Household Wealth Portfolios across Countries: An age-old question?, Working Paper 2012/32, Centre for Population, Poverty and Public Policy Studies (CEPS/INSTEAD)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Sep
An article examined how objective socio-economic and institutional conditions affected subjective feelings of insecurity, using data from the European Social Survey. Socio-economic (national income) and institutional (welfare state effort) factors were relevant to subjective socio-economic insecurity, whereas the degree of internationalization (economic globalization, share of foreign-born population) played a surprisingly negligible role.
Source: Steffen Mau, Jan Mewes, and Nadine Schoneck, 'What determines subjective socio-economic insecurity? Context and class in comparative perspective', Socio-Economic Review, Volume 10 Number 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Sep
A paper provided a comparative European analysis of the relationship between poverty and social exclusion, parental characteristics, and childhood economic circumstances, using data from the EU-SILC 2005. It compared findings from one-dimensional and multi-dimensional approaches to poverty and social exclusion in order to assess the extent to which welfare regime variation provided a coherent account of the intergenerational transmission of disadvantage.
Source: Brian Nolan, Analysing Intergenerational Influences on Income Poverty and Economic Vulnerability with EU-SILC, Discussion Paper 46, GINI Project (European Commission)
Links: Paper
Notes: EU-SILC = European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions
Date: 2012-Sep
A paper examined whether recent changes in family structure and female employment patterns had altered the distribution of income in western countries. The results supported the hypothesis that increased female employment reduced income inequality: but that increased prevalence of lone-mother families heightened income inequality. Limited evidence also suggested that educational homogamy between spouses and partners explained some of the differences in income inequality among countries.
Source: Christopher Kollmeyer, Family Structure, Female Employment, and National Income Inequality: A cross-national study of 16 western countries, Working Paper 579, Luxembourg Income Study
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Sep
An article examined the influence of being disabled on poverty dynamics in European countries. The impact of disability on the likelihood of being poor was around 3 times greater in the long term than in the short term.
Source: Carmen Delia Davila Quintana and Miguel Malo, 'Poverty dynamics and disability: an empirical exercise using the European community household panel', Journal of Socio-Economics, Volume 41 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Sep
A paper examined whether and to what extent taxes and social transfers had contributed to the widening gap between rich and poor groups in developed (OECD) countries over recent decades. Tax-benefit systems were found to have offset two-thirds of the average increase in primary income inequality. Pensions accounted for 60 per cent of the increase in redistribution during the period 1985–2005 for a subset of countries considered. Social assistance accounted for a further 20 per cent, and benefits for sickness/disease/disability accounted for around 13 per cent. Conversely, taxes slowed down redistribution by 17 per cent during 1985–2005.
Source: Koen Caminada, Kees Goudswaard, and Chen Wang, Disentangling Income Inequality and the Redistributive Effect of Taxes and Transfers in 20 LIS Countries over Time: Evidence from the LIS data, Working Paper 581, Luxembourg Income Study
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Sep
A paper examined the variation across countries and over time in in-work poverty using data from EU-SILC. It considered the 'complex relationship' between low pay and in-work poverty. The latter was strongly associated not with low hourly pay as such but rather with single-earnership and low work intensity at the household level, as well as working part-time/part-year or on temporary contract at the individual level. The paper discussed what policy could do to prevent or address in-work poverty, including through minimum income protection for workers and tax credit/negative income tax schemes.
Source: Ive Marx and Brian Nolan, In-Work Poverty, Discussion Paper 51, GINI Project (European Commission)
Links: Paper
Notes: EU-SILC = European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions
Date: 2012-Sep
A paper used survey data to define 'middle class' groups in European countries. Under the income-based definition (households whose net disposable income per adult equivalent was between 70 and 150 per cent of the median) the size of the middle class ranged from 35 per cent to 63 per cent of all households. In 17 out of 25 countries studied, the incomes of the upper classes had increased faster than those of the middle classes over the previous decade.
Source: Regis Bigot, Patricia Croutte, Jorg Muller, and Guillaume Osier, The Middle Classes in Europe: Evidence from the LIS data, Working Paper 580, Luxembourg Income Study
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Sep
A paper examined the contribution of child benefit 'packages' toward tackling child poverty among working families in Europe. Child benefit packages as a whole had played an important role in narrowing the gap between net income and 60 per cent of median equivalent income: nevertheless, in many countries they failed to protect low-wage earners against poverty. The package for lone parents was more generous in most countries: but how and whether childcare costs were subsidized made a big difference to this group. Comparatively generous packages for low-paid workers were to be found in countries where financial help for families with children was well targeted by means of income-related cash benefits, refundable income-related tax credits, or social assistance top-ups (including in the United Kingdom): but selective benefit systems might be quite ineffective with regard to poverty alleviation due to take-up problems and labour market disincentives. Child benefit packages were also often above average in countries that combined universal cash benefits with income-related cash benefits, housing allowances, or supplementary benefits from social assistance. Whereas during the 1990s child benefit packages had been able to escape welfare erosion, over the most recent decade the value of the package relative to median equivalized income had fallen in more countries than it had increased.
Source: Natascha Van Mechelen and Jonathan Bradshaw, Child Poverty as a Government Priority: Child benefit packages for working families, 1992–2009, Discussion Paper 50, GINI Project (European Commission)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Sep
A paper examined cross-country variation in the generosity of unemployment benefits in Europe. Left-wing governments were associated with better unemployment protection: but this linkage was conditional on the economic situation. Co-ordinated bargaining by strong and centrally organized labour unions also had a positive impact on benefit generosity. There was a negative relationship between the strictness of employment protection legislation and the generosity of unemployment benefit schemes, which was in line with the concept of the flexicurity model. There was a trend of convergence of unemployment benefit levels in the period 1990–2009.
Source: Olaf Van Vliet, Koen Caminada, and Kees Goudswaard, The Political Economy of Labour Market Policies in Western and Eastern European Countries, Working Paper D6.3, NEUJOBS Research Project (European Commission)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Sep
A paper examined the relationship between income inequality and solidarity (willingness to contribute to the welfare of other people) among Europeans. In more unequal countries people were less willing to take action to improve the living conditions of their fellows. This was true for respondents living in both low- and high-income households. Feelings of solidarity seemed to be influenced more strongly by affective, rather than by calculating, considerations.
Source: Marii Paskov and Caroline Dewilde, Income Inequality and Solidarity in Europe, Discussion Paper 33, GINI Project (European Commission)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Aug
A paper examined how non-contributory minimum income schemes for elderly people had evolved between 1990 and 2009 in 13 'old' European Union member states. The erosion of the principal safety net of last resort for elderly persons had been limited. Moreover, in a substantial number of countries a deliberate policy of large increases in minimum income benefits had been pursued, leading to a remarkable convergence of relative benefit levels.
Source: Tim Goedeme, Less Is More? 20 years of changing minimum income protection for old Europe s elderly, Working Paper 12/07, Centre for Social Policy (Antwerp University)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Aug
A paper examined the relationship between economic inequality – at both individual and national level – and attitudes toward income inequality in 20 developed capitalist societies. Experience of economic inequality had an enduring effect on attitudes. Specifically, respondents' own social class and their father's social class were both significantly related to attitudes, with working-class individuals tending to be more egalitarian in their views than others. But attitudes were unrelated to experience of social mobility per se. As income inequality rose, people of all classes tended to have less egalitarian views. No evidence was found that economic development or equality of opportunity influenced public opinion on what was considered fair income differences.
Source: Robert Andersen and Meir Yaish, Public Opinion on Income Inequality in 20 Democracies: The enduring impact of social class and economic inequality, Discussion Paper 48, GINI Project (European Commission)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Aug
An article examined ways in which existing European Union policy on the development of 'smart' metering could affect fuel-poor households. Improved feedback and prepayment metering might benefit people in fuel poverty. But remote disconnection and data privacy were issues for all consumers, and a careful assessment was needed of potential gains and losses for those in fuel poverty.
Source: Sarah Darby, 'Metering: EU policy and implications for fuel poor households', Energy Policy, Volume 49
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Aug
An article examined whether welfare states were in terminal decline in the face of a new 'austerity consensus'.
Source: Kevin Farnsworth and Zoe Irving, 'Varieties of crisis, varieties of austerity: social policy in challenging times', Journal of Poverty and Social Justice, Volume 20 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Aug
A paper compared the structural features of home-ownership systems in 15 European Union countries (home-ownership rates, mortgages, and public subsidization) with data on inequalities in outcomes (variations in home-ownership access, risks, and standards between income groups). Elements of both convergence and divergence were evident in western European home-ownership systems. The comparative housing literature had largely failed to capture the key inter-country cleavages in home-ownership systems between the northern and southern countries.
Source: Michelle Norris and Nessa Winston, Home-Ownership, Housing Regimes and Income Inequalities in Western Europe, Discussion Paper 42, GINI Project (European Commission)
Links: Paper
See also: Michelle Norris and Nessa Winston, 'Home-ownership, housing regimes and income inequalities in western Europe', International Journal of Social Welfare, Volume 21 Issue 2
Date: 2012-Aug
An article examined voting on redistribution between two income classes. The effect of inequality aversion was asymmetric. Inequality aversion was more likely to matter if the 'rich' were in majority. With a 'poor' majority, redistribution outcomes looked as if all voters were exclusively motivated by self-interest.
Source: Wolfgang Hochtl, Rupert Sausgruber, and Jean-Robert Tyran, 'Inequality aversion and voting on redistribution', European Economic Review, Volume 56 Issue 7
Date: 2012-Aug
An article examined the degree of earnings mobility and inequality across Europe, and the role of labour market institutions in understanding the cross-national differences in earnings mobility. The country ranking in long-term earnings inequality was similar to the country ranking in annual inequality, which was a sign of limited long-term equalizing mobility within countries with higher levels of annual inequality. There was evidence that deregulation in labour and product markets, the degree of unionization, the degree of corporatism, and the spending on active labour marker policies were positively associated with earnings mobility.
Source: Denisa Maria Sologon and Cathal O Donoghue, 'Earnings mobility, earnings inequality, and labor market institutions in Europe', Research on Economic Inequality, Volume 20 Chapter 10
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Aug
A new book examined ways in which European policy-makers and institutions could make social security systems more sustainable in the face of long-term demographic changes and a hostile global economic and financial environment. It investigated ways to achieve short and long-term financial viability. It also identified key mechanisms that worked to achieve social cohesion, such as greater emphasis on social rights and social dialogue. It then examined the main policy issues in sustaining major individual social security programmes, such as healthcare, social assistance and family benefits, pensions, unemployment and work incapacity benefits, as well as long-term care.
Source: Wouter van Ginneken, Sustaining European Social Security Systems in a Globalised Economy, Council of Europe
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Aug
A paper examined the impact of welfare services, as opposed to cash benefits, on inequality and poverty in European Union countries. Compulsory education and healthcare both reduced inequality and poverty when compared with a hypothetical situation without these publicly provided services. But cash transfers were more pro-poor than in-kind benefits in most countries.
Source: Gerlinde Verbist and Manos Matsaganis, The Redistributive Capacity of Services in the EU, Discussion Paper 53, GINI Project (European Commission)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Aug
A paper examined the literature on the issue of growing inequalities in advanced countries. It associated the rise in inequality with three key developments: globalization, skill-biased technological progress, and institutional changes. The effect of these developments might differ substantially across countries and sectors, and they also interacted in the determination of inequality.
Source: Nathalie Chusseau and Michel Dumont, Growing Income Inequalities in Advanced Countries, Working Paper 2012-260, ECINEQ: Society for the Study of Economic Inequality
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Aug
An article examined the distribution of labour earnings among employees within the European Union. Earnings differences were sizeable, both across and within countries. The wage distribution was narrower in the euro area than in the EU-25, which included the poorer eastern European countries joining in 2004. The higher inequality observed for the EU-25 was largely attributable to between-country differences, which in turn reflected differences in returns to individual attributes more than in workforce composition.
Source: Andrea Brandolini, Alfonso Rosolia, and Roberto Torrini, 'The EU-wide earnings distribution', Research on Economic Inequality, Volume 20 Chapter 9
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Aug
A paper examined the changing social and fiscal policy mix of child benefit systems in developed (OECD) countries from 1960 to 2005. Child benefit levels had became more similar and generous since the 1960s. However, the composition of child benefit packages varied extensively across countries. The Nordic countries and Ireland had come to rely predominantly on universal child benefits; in a second group (including Germany and the United States) it was instead the tax system that provided the channel for redistribution to families with dependent children; in a third group (including the United Kingdom) the system combined child benefits of both the social and fiscal policy types. Benefit levels tended to be higher among countries that had included universal elements in the composition of the policy package. The average universal child benefit also tended to be more generous than the other benefit types. On this account, the fiscalization of child benefits might not be of greatest benefit for low-income families with children. In addition, the income gradient inherent in child tax credit programmes seemed to be a retreat back to the old forms of targeted approaches to family policy.
Source: Tommy Ferrarini, Kenneth Nelson, and Helena Hoog, The Fiscalization of Child Benefits in OECD Countries, Discussion Paper 38, GINI Project (European Commission)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Aug
A report said that the issue of child poverty remained a relatively minor and unaddressed issue in the Europe 2020 process. Most member states' National Reform Programmes (NRPs) did not prioritize it, and very few set targets for its reduction. Even when the issue was a priority the approach was often far too narrow, focusing just on labour market access and educational disadvantage but largely ignoring issues of income support and access to services. There was often little focus on those children most at risk of severe poverty and social exclusion, and policies to tackle educational disadvantage often did not sufficiently focus on those at greatest risk. There was also a lack of systematic links between the NRPs and the National Social Reports (NSRs). The expectation that the NSRs would provide an in-depth underpinning to the coverage of poverty and social exclusion issues in the NRPs had, so far, not been met.
Source: The 2012 National Reform Programmes (NRP) and the National Social Reports (NSR) from a Child Poverty and Well-Being Perspective, Eurochild
Links: Report | Eurochild press release
Date: 2012-Jul
A paper examined the impact of income inequality on the values endorsed by people in developed (OECD) countries. It considered work ethic, civism, obedience, honesty, altruism, and tolerance. In most cases, no robust effects on values from inequality were detected. However, there was evidence that a more unequal income distribution strengthened the work ethic of the population. Thus, income inequality seemed to generate work incentives not only via the pecuniary reward of work but also through the symbolic reward it received.
Source: Giacomo Corneo and Frank Neher, Income Inequality and Self-Reported Values, Discussion Paper 382, Governance and the Efficiency of Economic System (c/o Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Jul
A paper examined the role that educational improvements were expected to play as a driver of future income convergence in Europe.
Source: Jesus Crespo Cuaresma, Miroslava Havettova, and Martin Labaj, Income Convergence Prospects in Europe: Assessing the role of human capital dynamics, Working Paper 143, Department of Economics, Vienna University of Economics and Business
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Jul
A new book examined the interaction in Europe between legal instruments and policy co-ordination in the field of social inclusion and social protection.
Source: Bea Cantillon, Herwig Verschueren, and Paula Ploscar (eds), Social Inclusion and Social Protection in the EU: Interactions between law and policy, Intersentia
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Jul
An article examined the redistributive impact of social transfer programmes and taxes in developed (OECD) countries. Welfare states on average reduced inequality by 35 per cent. Social benefits had a much stronger redistributive impact than taxes. As far as social programmes were concerned, public pensions accounted for the largest reduction in income inequality, although the pattern was diverse across countries. Social assistance, disability, and family benefits also contributed – to a lesser extent – to smaller income disparities.
Source: Chen Wang, Koen Caminada, and Kees Goudswaard, 'The redistributive effect of social transfer programmes and taxes: a decomposition across countries', International Social Security Review, Volume 65 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Jul
An article said that the European welfare state was in a state of crisis. The driving forces and conceptual framework that led to the growth of the European welfare state were becoming obsolete.
Source: Roland Poirier Martinsson, 'The demise of the driving forces behind the liberal and social democratic welfare state', European View, Volume 11 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Jul
A paper investigated the merits of increasing work incentives for low-income workers by shifting part of the tax burden from social security contributions to consumption taxes (specifically VAT) in 13 European countries. Simulation results showed that such reforms would increase work incentives for low-income workers at both participation and hours-worked margins. However, these increases would generally be small, because part of the VAT increase would still be borne by low-income workers. This, combined with difficulty targeting the reforms and potential equity concerns regarding increasing the tax burden on non-workers, suggested that alternative funding sources to a VAT increase should also be considered to fund reductions in social security contributions.
Source: Alastair Thomas and Fidel Picos-Sanchez, Shifting from Social Security Contributions to Consumption Taxes: The impact on low-income earner work incentives, Taxation Working Paper 12, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Jul
A paper proposed recalibrating the European Union's socio-economic governance in line with the new priorities of Europe 2020, in order to achieve a better balance between EU and national competences for: fighting poverty and social exclusion, employing stronger legal provisions to settle minimum income requirements, and strengthening access to social services.
Source: Jerome Vignon and Bea Cantillon, Is There a Time for 'Social Europe'? Looking beyond the Lisbon Strategy paradigm, Opinion Paper 9, European Social Observatory (Brussels)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Jul
An article examined the financial impact of the birth of a child in 10 European countries (including the United Kingdom), and linked this outcome to specific family policies. The results indicated important differences between the countries studied.
Source: Sally Bould, Isabella Crespi, and Gunther Schmaus, 'The cost of a child, mother's employment behavior and economic insecurity in Europe', International Review of Sociology, Volume 22 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Jul
A paper examined the relationship between unemployment and social participation in Europe. There was clear evidence that the negative impact of unemployment on participation levels could be alleviated by macro-level factors. Societies with egalitarian ideals had higher social participation rates among their unemployed people.
Source: Martina Dieckhoff and Vanessa Gash, The Social Consequences of Unemployment in Europe: A two-stage multilevel analysis, Working Paper 2012-04, Centre for Census and Survey Research (University of Manchester)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Jul
A report examined progress on delivering poverty reduction, and other key social employment and education targets of the Europe 2020 strategy, through the 2012 National Reform Programmes and National Social Reports. It highlighted the 'serious failure' of the Europe 2020 project to promote coherent anti-poverty strategies.
Source: Sian Jones, Amana Ferro, Vincent Caron, and Tanya Basarab, An EU Worth Defending: Beyond austerity to social investment and inclusive growth, European Anti-Poverty Network
Links: Report | EAPN press release
Date: 2012-Jul
A paper proposed a methodology for benchmarking unemployment benefits systems in the European Union, with a view to assessing how they performed in terms of their objectives (such as income support and work incentives). The overall generosity of unemployment benefit systems exhibited a high degree of variation across countries, with the United Kingdom among a group of countries where benefit conditions were 'relatively tight'.
Source: Klara Stovicek and Alessandro Turrini, Benchmarking Unemployment Benefits in the EU, Policy Paper 43, Institute for the Study of Labor (Bonn)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Jul
A paper examined historical and cross-country trends in personal income tax rates/thresholds and employee social security in developed (OECD) countries. The most pronounced trend over the period 2000–2010 was a reduction in top personal income tax rates. This trend was accompanied by reductions in the threshold at which the top rate applied, as well as reductions in the rate applicable at average wage earnings.
Source: Carolina Torres, Kirsti Mellbye, and Bert Brys, Trends in Personal Income Tax and Employee Social Security Contribution Schedules, Taxation Working Paper 11, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Jul
An article examined the association between income inequality and mental health in European countries. The findings gave most support to the 'status anxiety' and 'social capital' hypotheses, and almost no support to the 'neo-materialist' hypothesis.
Source: Richard Layte, 'The association between income inequality and mental health: testing status anxiety, social capital, and neo-materialist explanations', European Sociological Review, Volume 28 Number 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Jul
An article examined the link in west European countries between religious belief and opposition to income redistribution. It was found that both Catholics and Protestants were more likely to exhibit strong opposition to income redistribution by the state. The overall level of support for redistribution was lower in cases where the polarization between religious and secular groupings was greatest.
Source: Daniel Stegmueller, Peer Scheepers, Sigrid Rossteutscher, and Eelke de Jong, 'Support for redistribution in western Europe: assessing the role of religion', European Sociological Review, Volume 28 Number 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Jul
An article offered a critical account of the 'social' in the Europe 2020 strategy, focusing on the new poverty target and the European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion. Although poverty was given a prominent place in the strategy, and the use of targets was intended to harden up member state/EU co-ordination, the poverty target was loose and risked being rendered ineffective. The social goals and philosophy of Europe 2020 were under-elaborated: it was not clear how growth would bring about the planned reduction in poverty – 'inclusive growth' had little meaning in itself. The strategy drew mainly from social investment and liberal approaches, neither of which had a strong orientation to addressing poverty.
Source: Mary Daly, 'Paradigms in EU social policy: a critical account of Europe 2020', Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, Volume 18 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Jul
A paper examined individuals' inequality perceptions, distributional norms, and redistributive preferences in a panel of developed (OECD) countries. There was a positive correlation between these subjective measures and the effective level of inequality and redistribution. There was also evidence showing that the subjective and objective dimension of inequality and redistribution were, at least partially, linked with individuals' political preferences and their voting behaviour. The association between objective and subjective measures of inequality and redistribution vanished, however, once more fundamental country characteristics were taken into account: this suggested that these characteristics explained both redistributive preferences as well as the effective level of redistribution and inequality.
Source: Andreas Kuhn, Redistributive Preferences, Redistribution, and Inequality: Evidence from a panel of OECD countries, Discussion Paper 6721, Institute for the Study of Labor (Bonn)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Jul
A new book compared a broad range of absolute and relative poverty measures as used to set policy in Europe and the United States of America. European states often focused on a person's relative position in the income distribution, whereas the USA looked at a fixed income threshold that represented a lower relative standing in the overall distribution. In Europe, low income was perceived as only one aspect of being socially excluded, so that examining other relative dimensions of family and individual welfare was important – in sharp contrast to the American emphasis on income as the sole dimension.
Source: Douglas Besharov and Kenneth Couch (eds), Counting the Poor: New thinking about European poverty measures and lessons for the United States, Oxford University Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Jul
A report examined key developments and policy drivers relating to child poverty and social exclusion in Europe, and made suggestions for policy principles, an indicators-based monitoring framework, and governance, implementation, and monitoring arrangements by the European Commission.
Source: Tackling and Preventing Child Poverty, Promoting Child Well-Being, Social Protection Committee/European Commission
Date: 2012-Jun
A paper examined the economic effects of introducing two elements of a fiscal union in the European Union: an EU-wide tax and transfer system, and a system of fiscal equalization. Replacing one-third of the national tax and transfer systems by a European system would lead to significant redistributive effects both within and across countries. These effects depended on income levels and the structures of the existing national tax and transfer systems. The EU system would improve fiscal stability and redistribute revenues from high-income to low-income countries.
Source: Olivier Bargain, Mathias Dolls, Clemens Fuest, Dirk Neumann, Andreas Peichl, Nico Pestel, and Sebastian Siegloch, Fiscal Union in Europe? Redistributive and stabilising effects of an EU tax-benefit system, Discussion Paper 6585, Institute for the Study of Labor (Bonn)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Jun
A new book examined the causes and consequences of economic inequality in the advanced market economies. It looked at the power structures constituting the class system: employers' power over employees; the power of certain businesses over others; professionals' power over their clients and other employees; cultural power in the media and education systems; and political power in 'democratic' government. It highlighted what was wrong with power-based inequality in terms of distributive justice and economic functionality.
Source: Eric Schutz, Inequality and Power: The economics of class, Routledge
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Jun
A new book examined the development of political cultural processes in Europe, highlighting the way in which social protection and social justice had gradually became interwoven with systems of social protection, or welfare states. It showed how sociological and ethnographic analysis could help in understanding the existing and future challenges of European integration.
Source: Jean-Claude Barbier, The Road to Social Europe: A contemporary approach to political cultures and diversity in Europe, Routledge
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Jun
A report examined the at-risk-of-poverty rate for the United Kingdom in comparison to other countries in the European Union and how this rate had changed over time, using data from European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions. Key points:
• In 2010, 17.1 per cent of the UK population were defined as being at risk of poverty, equivalent to 10.7 million people. This was higher than the overall EU at-risk-of-poverty rate of 16.4 per cent.
• The at-risk-of-poverty rate in the UK decreased by 1.9 percentage points between 2005 and 2010. In comparison, the EU average remained relatively stable over this period.
• The overall decrease in at-risk-of-poverty rates in the UK between 2005 and 2010 was most pronounced among young people and those aged 65 and over, though rates remain highest for these groups.
• Among those aged 65 and over, in 2010, the at-risk-of-poverty rate in the UK was considerably higher than the EU average, a difference of 5.5 percentage points.
• Females in both the UK and the majority of other EU countries were more likely to be defined as being at risk of poverty throughout this period.
Source: Comparison of UK and EU At-Risk-Of Poverty Rates 2005-2010, Office for National Statistics
Links: Report | ONS press release | Independent report
Notes: The EU at-risk-of-poverty rate is the share of people in households with an equivalized disposable income (after social transfers) below 60 per cent of the national median (before housing costs).
Date: 2012-Jun
A paper examined whether the global financial and economic crisis had brought about changes in the quality of life of citizens of the European Union. On the whole, the crisis had led to a decline in quality of life. This was more apparent for those living in countries most affected by the crisis. Vulnerable groups such as those who were unemployed, elderly or retired, as well as people suffering financial difficulties, had experienced a considerable drop in their well-being.
Source: Branislav Mikulic, Eszter Sandor, and Tadas Leoncikas, Experiencing the Economic Crisis in the EU: Changes in living standards, deprivation and trust, European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Jun
A paper examined the relationship between income inequality and support for redistribution in developed (mainly European) countries. The share in the population who thought that it was the government's role to reduce income differences was a far better predictor for actual redistribution than models based on rational utility maximization. The direction of causality was, however, subject to debate: people's views on what was just and fair, and on how the government should intervene in market outcomes, were influenced by the performance of the institutions that redistributed income – primarily the tax system and social security institutions.
Source: Malte Luebker, Income Inequality, Redistribution and Poverty: Contrasting rational choice and behavioural perspectives, Working Paper No. 2012/44, World Institute for Development Economics Research (United Nations University)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Jun
A report examined the roles of political, managerial, community, and business leaders in promoting social inclusion and public service innovation (based on research in three cities in England and the Netherlands). Radical public service innovation required political change, not just managerial change. Civic leaders needed to foster a culture of innovation, and collaboration across boundaries. Place-based leaders who could demonstrate emotional commitment to the social inclusion agenda enabled innovation to flourish, and encouraged others to bring their own emotional energy to the task.
Source: Robin Hambleton and Joanna Howard (with Bas Denters, Pieter-Jan Klok, and Mirjan Oude Vrielink), Public Sector Innovation and Local Leadership in the UK and the Netherlands, Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Date: 2012-Jun
A paper examined the impact of economic vulnerability and economic recession on political trust, satisfaction with democracy, and attitudes towards welfare state redistribution across different European Union countries. Significant recession effects were found for political trust and satisfaction with democracy in Eurozone countries. The evidence regarding recession effects on attitudes to redistribution was, however, inconclusive.
Source: Javier Polavieja, The Great Recession: Political Trust, Satisfaction with Democracy and Attitudes to Welfare-State Redistribution in Europe, Working Paper 2012/08, IMDEA Social Sciences Institute (Madrid)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Jun
A report examined ways of promoting inclusive economic growth in Europe. The second part focused on the relationship between social policies and economic growth, including chapters on income inequality, family services, health systems, and job flexibility.
Source: Claudio De Vincenti (ed.), Fair, Robust and Sustainable: A recipe for Europe s growth, Foundation for European Progressive Studies
Links: Report
Notes: Chapter details: Vito Peragine, 'Income and inequality: a contribution to a European strategy from the equality of opportunity perspective' | Jeanne Fagnani, 'The development of family services: a precondition for promoting economic growth and social development in Europe' | Naomi Chambers, 'Health systems: challenges and growth strategies' | Andranik Tangian, 'Flexicurity: promises and outcomes' | Elsa Fornero, 'The "good" flexibility in individuals life cycle: an achievable goal or a chimera?'
Date: 2012-Jun
An article examined ways of improving the analysis of multi-dimensional inequality in European Union countries. It looked at the effect of both the dispersion of well-being attributes across individuals and the interaction among attributes on the measurement of multi-dimensional well-being.
Source: Elisabetta Croci Angelini, 'Axiomatic measurement of multidimensional well-being inequality: some distributional questions', Journal of Socio-Economics, Volume 41 Issue 5
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Jun
A briefing paper examined recent trends in minimum wages across Europe in the light of the economic crisis. In most European countries, workers earning the minimum wage had suffered losses – in some cases quite considerable losses – in real pay. This had served to exacerbate the demand-depressing effects of austerity policies, and was one factor behind the economic stagnation that much of Europe was experiencing.
Source: Thorsten Schulten, Minimum Wages in Europe Under Austerity, European Trade Union Institute
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Jun
An article examined the increasing socio-spatial inequalities in European cities and their impact on the possibilities for fostering social cohesion.
Source: Tim Cassiers and Christian Kesteloot, 'Socio-spatial inequalities and social cohesion in European cities', Urban Studies, Volume 49 Number 9
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Jun
An article examined the nature and significance of the recent European Union poverty and social exclusion target (part of the Europe 2020 strategy). The target was the result of a political opportunity seized upon by a number of pro-social policy actors, rather than an agreement to further Europeanize social policy. There were doubts over whether it would succeed in addressing income poverty, severe material deprivation, and/or household joblessness; and the target allowed much leeway in response by the member states, in terms of both which definition they would use and what level of ambition they set for their target. The target therefore risked both incoherence as an approach to social policy and ineffectiveness in terms of precipitating significant action by the member states to address poverty and social exclusion.
Source: Paul Copeland and Mary Daly, 'Varieties of poverty reduction: inserting the poverty and social exclusion target into Europe 2020', Journal of European Social Policy, Volume 22 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Jun
A report examined minimum wage policies and their socio-economic consequences for a range of European countries (including the United Kingdom). Central and eastern European countries, the UK and Ireland, as well as Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Cyprus, Spain, and Portugal operated minimum wage systems that produced a 'clean cut' in the income distribution. By contrast, all of the Nordic countries, Austria, Belgium, Germany, Greece, and Italy operated minimum wage systems that were 'complex' – that is, many different minima coexisted side by side, so that the left tail of the wage distribution was much smoother. Complex systems were more likely to generate relatively high wage floors compared with systems that determined a single wage minimum at the national level. By and large, 'clean-cut' systems typically involved social partners to a relatively low extent and offered them merely a consultative function in the process of setting the minimum wage: as a consequence, they seemed to be less effective in guaranteeing wage floors that helped to compress the lower end of the wage distribution and protect wage earners from poverty.
Source: Francois Rycx and Stephan Kampelmann, Who Earns Minimum Wages in Europe? New evidence based on household surveys, Report 124, European Trade Union Institute
Links: Report
Date: 2012-Jun
A paper examined the idea that the European Union should be involved in the governance of minimum income protection. Since a harmonized minimum income scheme would require a significantly greater budgetary effort on the part of some of the poorer member states in eastern and southern Europe, it raised a complex question about the meaning of EU solidarity. The prospect of a more binding framework on minimum income protection might become realistic – albeit introduced gradually and flexibly – provided the EU put positive pressure on poorer and richer member states to gradually improve the overall quality and efficiency of their welfare regimes.
Source: Frank Vandenbroucke, Bea Cantillon, Natascha Van Mechelen, Tim Goedeme, and Anne Van Lancker, The EU and Minimum Income Protection: Clarifying the policy conundrum, Working Paper 12/05, Centre for Social Research (Antwerp University)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Jun
A report examined pension adequacy in the European Union over the period 2010-2050. 'Great advances' had been made in the sustainability of public pensions: but adequacy outcomes were less impressive and largely contingent on changes in people s retirement and long-term savings behaviour.
Source: Pension Adequacy in the European Union 2010-2050, European Commission
Links: Report
Date: 2012-Jun
An article examined, using EU-SILC data for 24 European countries, how income inequality was related to civic and social participation. The results indicated that the main effects of inequality manifested themselves in resources at the individual and societal level. However, independent of these resources, higher inequality was associated with lower civic participation. Furthermore, inequality magnified the relationship between income and participation. This finding was in line with the view that inter-individual processes explained why inequality diminished participation.
Source: Bram Lancee and Herman van de Werfhorst, 'Income inequality and participation: a comparison of 24 European countries', Social Science Research, Volume 41 Issue 5
Links: Abstract
Notes: EU-SILC = European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions
Date: 2012-Jun
An article examined how social capital influenced individual preferences for income redistribution. People were more likely to express preferences for income redistribution in areas with higher rates of community participation. This was more clearly so in high-income groups than in low-income groups.
Source: Eiji Yamamura, 'Social capital, household income, and preferences for income redistribution', European Journal of Political Economy, Volume 28 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Jun
A study examined the Europe 2020 strategy with particular reference to its seven 'flagship' initiatives (including Youth on the Move, New Skills and Jobs, and the European Platform Against Poverty). It explored their relationship with cohesion policy, and identified ways of integrating them into the future common strategic framework. Detailed roadmaps were provided for each initiative, indicating what actions should be carried out over different time perspectives.
Source: Herta Todtling-Schonhofer, Christine Hamza, Angelos Sanopoulos, Alice Radzyner, John Bachtler, and Stefan Kah, How to Integrate the EU Flagship Initiatives Into Cohesion Policy in the Current and Future Funding Periods, European Parliament
Links: Report
Date: 2012-Jun
A paper examined the links between employment policy success (or failure) and inclusion policy success (or failure) in the European Union. First, it considered the difference between the hypothetical share of individuals living in jobless households (assuming that individual employment was distributed randomly across households) and the actual share of individuals living in jobless households – so-called 'polarization'. Second, it decomposed changes in the at-risk-of-poverty rates on the basis of changes in: the poverty risks of jobless households; the poverty risks of other (non-jobless) households; household joblessness due to changes in individual employment rates and changing household structures; and 'polarization'.
Source: Vincent Corluy and Frank Vandenbroucke, Individual Employment, Household Employment and Risk of Poverty in the EU: A decomposition analysis, Working Paper 12/06, Centre for Social Research (Antwerp University)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Jun
An article examined the possible impact of income inequality on values and attitudes in industrial nations, from an economic perspective. The results showed that inequality had a significant impact on values and attitudes, especially concerning religion and the family.
Source: Frederic Pryor, 'The impact of income inequality on values and attitudes', Journal of Socio-Economics, Volume 41 Issue 5
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Jun
A paper examined the impact of recent reforms on the ability of pensions systems in Europe to alleviate poverty and maintain living standards. Although reforms had decreased generosity significantly, in most countries poverty alleviation remained strong. However, moves to link benefits to contributions had made some systems less progressive, raising adequacy concerns for certain groups. In particular, unless the labour market outcomes of women and of people on lower incomes changed substantially over the coming decades, state pension transfers would prove inadequate, particularly in eastern European countries.
Source: Aaron George Grech, Evaluating the Possible Impact of Pension Reforms on Future Living Standards in Europe, CASEpaper 161, Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion (London School of Economics)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Jun
An article said that immigration had varying implications for attitudes about government redistribution in European countries, depending on the level at which immigration was experienced. Although national-level exposure to foreign-born populations tended to have little effect on support for government redistribution, occupational-level exposure to immigration tended to spur such support. These results suggested that immigration directly influenced the politics of inequality – but in more complicated ways than recent scholarship suggested.
Source: Brian Burgoon and Ferry Koster, 'Support for redistribution and the paradox of immigration', Journal of European Social Policy, Volume 22 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Jun
A paper examined how wages inequalities translated into standard of living inequalities in different European countries. It proposed a new methodology to decompose the impact of wage, family, and social transfers on income inequality.
Source: Guillaume Allegre, Work, Family or State? From wage inequalities to standard of living inequalities and in-work poverty in a European cross-country perspective, Working Paper 2012-12, French Economic Observatory (Sciences Po, Paris)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-May
A new book examined how the principle of universalism in social policy could be understood, and how it had been put into practice in various national contexts. Universalism was contrasted with the idea of diversity, which had gained strength in highly developed welfare states as a result of the growing affluent middle classes and of multiculturalism. The contributors highlighted the multiple nature of universalism: universalism was defined and implemented differently in British and Scandinavian social policy, and service universalism was different from universalism in pensions. Yet, universalism remained an essential principle for planning and implementing sustainable and legitimate policies in times characterized by complex interdependences and contradictory political aims.
Source: Anneli Anttonen, Liisa Haikio, and Kolbeinn Stefansson (eds.), Welfare State, Universalism and Diversity, Edward Elgar Publishing
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-May
An article examined the education-inequality nexus in the context of the European Union's 2020 strategy for inclusive economic growth. It highlighted the strategic and institutional measures that needed to be implemented for a 'smarter' social inclusion policy:
• A better balance between knowledge-intensive and knowledge-extensive policies.
• An extension of EU anti-discrimination law in the field of education.
• Integration of the open method of co-ordination (OMC) in education and training with the social OMC.
Peer learning focused on structural reform of employment and training systems.
Source: Ides Nicaise, 'A smart social inclusion policy for the EU: the role of education and training', European Journal of Education, Volume 47 Issue 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-May
The European Commission published an assessment of the progress made by member states in 'reforming' their budgets in line with the priorities set by the European Union, and made country-specific recommendations. It noted in respect of the United Kingdom that: 'considerable risks remain that the positive impact of new policies on employment and incomes will be more than offset by declining amounts available for benefits, so poverty, particularly for families with children, risks increasing'.
Source: Action for Stability, Growth and Jobs, European Commission | Recommendation for a Council Recommendation on the United Kingdom's 2012 National Reform Programme and Delivering a Council Opinion on the United Kingdom's Convergence Programme for 2012-2017, European Commission
Links: Report | UK report | European Commission press release
Date: 2012-May
An article examined the link between social assistance benefit levels and material deprivation in European countries. The relationship between assistance and deprivation was negative, indicating that material deprivation was less extensive in countries with higher benefit levels. The influence of other relevant contextual effects did not change this relationship to any serious extent. There was no clear effect of public services or active labour market policy on material deprivation – factors essential in the European Union discussion on poverty and social inclusion. The results demonstrated that the role of social assistance in combating material hardships should perhaps be strengthened in future EU policy frameworks.
Source: Kenneth Nelson, 'Counteracting material deprivation: the role of social assistance in Europe', Journal of European Social Policy, Volume 22 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-May
An article examined the influence of being disabled on poverty dynamics in Europe. It presented results adjusting the modified OECD equivalence scale by the number of adults with severe disabilities in the household, and calculated poverty rates with this disability-adjusted scale. In addition it addressed the problem of incidental parameters in econometric models for the probability of being poor, and separated the effects of being disabled on poverty that were short- and long-term. The long-term ('persistence') effect was three times the short-term ('true state dependence') effect, which had significant social policy implications.
Source: Carmen Delia Davila Quintana and Miguel Malo, 'Poverty dynamics and disability: an empirical exercise using the European Community Household Panel', Journal of Socio-Economics, Volume 41 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-May
An article examined whether the relationship between own income and redistributive preferences depended on the regional level of poverty and the ethnic composition of people in poverty. Using data from the European Social Survey, it was found that support for redistribution among rich people was lower when the proportion of ethnic minorities among people in poverty was high. Several possible mechanisms to account for this relationship were examined. No support was found for explanations based on more animosity towards people in poverty or towards ethnic minorities, or for explanations based on lower social trust or social capital: instead, rich people were less concerned with downward income mobility when the proportion of minorities among people in poverty was high.
Source: Henning Finseraas, 'Poverty, ethnic minorities among the poor, and preferences for redistribution in European regions', Journal of European Social Policy, Volume 22 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-May
A paper examined the pension reform process in Europe. It considered options designed to bring entitlement systems closer to fiscal balance and still achieve their key aims. There was no single policy prescription that could solve all problems at once. Reform elements included a freeze in contribution and tax rates, an indexation of benefits to the dependency ratio, measures to stop the existing trend towards early retirement, an adaptation of the normal retirement age to increased life expectancy, and more reliance on private savings.
Source: Axel Borsch-Supan, Entitlement Reforms in Europe: Policy mixes in the current pension reform process, Working Paper 18009, National Bureau of Economic Research (Massachusetts, USA)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-May
An article examined the association between occupational social class and parental transfer behaviour in European countries. Substantial class differences in financial transfers were found. Existing theories on intergenerational transfers were largely unable to account for this finding. Even after income and wealth were controlled for, service-class parents transferred more resources to their adult children than did working-class parents.
Source: Marco Albertini and Jonas Radl, 'Intergenerational transfers and social class: inter-vivos transfers as means of status reproduction?', Acta Sociologica, Volume 55 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-May
A paper examined how poor people and welfare recipients were depicted in British, Danish, and Swedish newspapers. It said that they were depicted negatively in a liberal welfare-regime – the United Kingdom – where most of them were perceived to be white. But they were depicted positively in two social-democratic welfare regimes – Sweden and Denmark – where they had increasingly come to be perceived as non-white, especially in Denmark.
Source: Christian Albrekt Larsen and Thomas Engel Dejgaard, The Institutional Logic of Images of the Poor and Welfare Recipients: A comparative study of British, Swedish and Danish newspapers, Working Paper 2012-78, Centre for Comparative Welfare Studies (Aalborg University, Denmark)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-May
An annual report examined social developments in the European Union in 2011. 'Punitive' austerity measures being pursued by member states represented worrying signs for the future of the European social model.
Source: David Natali and Bart Vanhercke, Social Developments in the European Union 2011, European Trade Union Institute
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-May
An article examined the relationship between the so-called old, 'economic' left/right alignment (egalitarianism) and the new, 'cultural' alignment. Less educated people occupied an apparently contradictory position – combining leftist views on equality and government intervention with a rightist stand on issues such as minority rights and the treatment of criminals. This could be explained in terms of vulnerability, and the way in which it was culturally processed. Less educated people were often vulnerable and longed for more equality. The stronger their desire for equality, the greater their frustration when feeling vulnerable, and the greater the need to cope with that vulnerability based on feelings of relative deprivation. When taking feelings of deprivation into account, the two left/right dimensions were in fact independent of each other at all levels of education, creating a situation that led to tensions within parties that pursued egalitarian policies. The stronger the longing for equality among the vulnerable members of society, the more likely they were to opt for right wing positions on the new left/right dimension.
Source: Mark Elchardus and Bram Spruyt, 'The contemporary contradictions of egalitarianism: an empirical analysis of the relationship between the old and new left/right alignments', European Political Science Review, Volume 4 Issue 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-May
A paper examined the role of minimum wages, tax, and benefit policies in protecting workers against financial poverty – covering 21 European countries with a national minimum wage, and three states in the United States of America. Net income packages at minimum wage level only reached or exceeded the European Union's at-risk-of poverty threshold in the case of single persons and in a limited number of countries. For lone parents and sole breadwinners with a partner and children to support, net income packages at minimum wage were below this threshold almost everywhere, usually by a wide margin. This was the case despite shifts over the previous decade towards tax relief and additional income support provisions for low-paid workers. There appeared to be limits to what minimum wage policies alone could achieve in the fight against in-work poverty. The route of raising minimum wages to eliminate poverty among workers solely reliant on it seemed to be inherently constrained, especially in countries where the distance between minimum and average wage levels was already comparatively small and where relative poverty thresholds were mostly a function of the dual-earner living standards. In order to fight in-work poverty new policy routes needed to be explored: 'one size fits all' policy solutions were unlikely to succeed.
Source: Ive Marx, Sarah Marchal, and Brian Nolan, Mind the Gap: Net incomes of minimum wage workers in the EU and the US, Discussion Paper 6510, Institute for the Study of Labor (Bonn)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-May
An article examined whether motivations characteristic of 'homo reciprocans', as described in experimental economics, could account for the support for the redistributive role of the state. Using data from the 2008 European Social Survey, it showed how this picture of human motivations provided a fertile framework to interpret support for redistribution among the general public. Variables associated with 'reciprocity' were better predictors of support for the redistributive role of the state than those associated with 'self-interest', including the traditional socio-economic variables, although both types of variables offered useful insights into the question of why people supported redistribution.
Source: Francisco Jose Leon, 'Reciprocity and public support for the redistributive role of the state', Journal of European Social Policy, Volume 22 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-May
An article used recent survey data collected from 20 developed societies to examine how social mobility rates were influenced by economic and political conditions. Systematic cross-national variation was found in the association between the occupational status of respondents and their fathers. This variation was positively associated with per capita national income, suggesting that more affluent nations were characterized by more open and fluid stratification structures. The results also suggested the importance of political regimes and migration for social mobility. In contrast, economic inequality appeared to explain very little of the cross-national variation in mobility rates.
Source: Meir Yaish and Robert Andersen, 'Social mobility in 20 modern societies: the role of economic and political context', Social Science Research, Volume 41 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-May
A paper said that efforts to measure multidimensional poverty and social exclusion in rich countries had hitherto been 'predominantly ad hoc', and had relied on data that were far from ideal. It applied an approach to European countries that had mostly been discussed in a development context, using newly available microdata on deprivation. Multidimensional poverty was characterized and decomposed in terms of the contribution of different deprivation dimensions, and an account of cross-national and socio-economic variation in risk levels was presented that was in line with theoretical expectations. Multilevel analysis of multi-dimensional poverty provided the basis for assessment of the role of macro and micro characteristics and their interaction in relation to levels and patterns of multidimensional poverty and social exclusion.
Source: Christopher Whelan, Brian Nolan, and Bertrand Maitre, Multidimensional Poverty Measurement in Europe: An application of the adjusted headcount approach, WP2012/11, Geary Institute (University College Dublin)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-May
A new book used data from 10 countries with differing levels of inequality to examine whether and how parents' resources transmitted advantage to their children at different stages of development. It highlighted the structural differences between countries that might influence intergenerational mobility.
Source: John Ermisch, Markus Jantti, and Timothy Smeeding (eds.), From Parents to Children: The intergenerational transmission of advantage, Russell Sage Foundation
Links: Summary | Project summary
Date: 2012-May
An article examined how family background influenced income acquisition in 17 European countries, focusing on how governments affected equality of opportunity through redistributive policies. A clear country clustering was found for Nordic, continental European, and Anglo-Saxon countries. For Eastern Europe the results were less definitive. Both taxes and transfers reduced inequality of opportunity, with social benefits typically playing a key role. The equalizing impacts of the tax-benefit system differed substantially from the ones observed in the traditional notion of inequality of outcomes.
Source: Lina Dunnzlaff, Dirk Neumann, Judith Niehues, and Andreas Peichl, 'Equality of opportunity and redistribution in Europe', Research on Economic Inequality, Volume 19
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-May
A new book said that the basis of the development of the European Union – the free movement of capital, goods, services, and people – was fundamentally at odds with the creation of an interventionist regime that the construction of a 'social Europe' would require. The European Union did not possess the budget or the economic tools to pursue such a strategy; and in political terms almost no EU institution backed it.
Source: Philip Whyman, Mark Baimbridge, and Andrew Mullen, The Political Economy of the European Social Model, Routledge
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-May
A paper examined how the poverty-reduction capacity of social security in European countries had evolved in the 'boom' years prior to the global economic crisis. During the 1990s the adequacy of social transfers had declined significantly in the traditionally strong welfare states in the Nordic countries. Conversely, the southern states in the 1990s, and the new member states in the 2000s, had displayed a significant increase in poverty reduction by social transfers. During the first years of the crisis the poverty-reducing impact of social transfer systems seemed to have been on the decline in all countries. There was a striking – and in many countries rising – inadequacy of social protection for individuals living in households with a low work intensity. This pointed to a tension between the adequacy of income protection and activation – lending credence to the notion that policies had sought to raise employment at least partially by reducing reservation wages.
Source: Bea Cantillon, Natascha Van Mechelen, Olivier Pintelon, and Aaron Van den Heede, Household Work Intensity and the Adequacy of Social Protection in the EU, Working Paper 12/04, Centre for Social Research (Antwerp University)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-May
A report examined progress made by the world's wealthiest countries in reducing child poverty and deprivation. Even though the United Kingdom had missed its own targets to reduce child poverty to 1.7 million children in 2010, it still had one of the largest reductions in child poverty after government intervention. But the report warned that coalition government policies since 2010 to reduce public spending meant that this progress would be reversed, and that more children would grow up in poverty.
Source: Peter Adamson, Measuring Child Poverty: New league tables of child poverty in the world s rich countries, UNICEF
Links: Report | UNICEF UK press release | OCC press release | Childrens Society press release | Labour Party press release | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2012-May
A new book examined what the Lisbon Treaty meant for social law and social policy at the European level.
Source: Niklas Bruun, Klaus Lorcher, and Isabelle Schomann (eds.), The Lisbon Treaty and Social Europe, Hart Publishing
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-May
A report said that more resources and targeted actions were needed to tackle poverty and social exclusion in the European Union. The role of mechanisms put in place to promote social inclusion had to be strengthened, such as the European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion, and the social open method of co-ordination. All structural funds should be used to promote social inclusion and combat poverty, in particular child poverty. The objective of economic growth should not prevail over the other EU priorities, and should not prevent structural funds from reaching those most in need.
Source: EU Budget 2014-2020: Making Children Visible, Children s Rights Action Group
Links: Report
Date: 2012-May
An eight-part study examined whether it was possible in developed economies to combine policies to reduce income inequality with those designed to promote economic growth. It suggested that there were 'win-win' policy options: raising human capital was key, various labour market reforms could help, and taxation could be made more equitable and growth-friendly. But there were also reforms that led to a trade-off between growth and equity.
Source:
• Peter Hoeller, Isabelle Joumard, Mauro Pisu, and Debbie Bloch, Less Income Inequality and More Growth – Are They Compatible? Part 1: Mapping Income Inequality Across the OECD, Working Paper 924, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
• Isabell Koske, Jean-Marc Fournier, and Isabelle Wanner, Less Income Inequality and More Growth – Are They Compatible? Part 2: The Distribution of Labour Income, Working Paper 925, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
• Isabelle Joumard, Mauro Pisu, and Debbie Bloch, Less Income Inequality and More Growth – Are They Compatible? Part 3: Income Redistribution via Taxes and Transfers Across OECD Countries, Working Paper 926, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
• Peter Hoeller, Less Income Inequality and More Growth – Are they Compatible? Part 4: Top Incomes, Working Paper 927, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
• Mauro Pisu, Less Income Inequality and More Growth – Are they Compatible? Part 5: Poverty in OECD Countries, Working Paper 928, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
• Kaja Bonesmo Fredriksen, Less Income Inequality and More Growth – Are they Compatible? Part 6: The Distribution of Wealth, Working Paper 929, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
• Jean-Marc Fournier and Isabell Koske, Less Income Inequality and More Growth – Are they Compatible? Part 7: The Drivers of Labour Earnings Inequality – An analysis based on conditional and unconditional quantile regressions, Working Paper 930, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
• Rafal Kierzenkowski and Isabell Koske, Less Income Inequality and More Growth – Are they Compatible? Part 8: The Drivers of Labour Income Inequality – A review of the recent literature , Working Paper 931, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Links: Paper (924) | Paper (925) | Paper (926) | Paper (927) | Paper (928) | Paper (929) | Paper (930) | Paper (931)
See also:
• 'Reducing income inequality while boosting economic growth: can it be done?' in Economic Policy Reforms: Going for Growth 2012, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
• Inequality in Labour Income – What Are Its Drivers and How Can It Be Reduced?, Policy Note 8, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
• Income Inequality and Growth: The Role of Taxes and Transfers, Policy Note 9, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Date: 2012-Apr
A paper examined income dispersion in European countries. Towards the end of the 2000s the income distribution in Europe was more unequal than in the average developed (OECD) country, albeit notably less so than in the United States. It was the within-country, not the between-country dimension, that appeared to be most important. Inequality in Europe had risen quite substantially since the mid-1980s. Although the European Union enlargement process had contributed to this, it was not the only explanation, since inequality had also increased within a 'core' of 8 European countries. Large income gains among the 10 per cent top earners appeared to be a main driver behind this evolution.
Source: Kaja Bonesmo Fredriksen, Income Inequality in the European Union, Economics Department Working Paper 952, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Apr
An article examined the impact of economic conditions – at both individual and national level – on social class identification in 44 countries. There was a positive relationship between household income and class identification in all countries, though this relationship varied substantially. 'Low' class identifications were more likely in poor countries than in rich ones: but the effect of economic development diminished if income inequality was considered in the same model. Income inequality had an important polarizing effect on class identification. Specifically, the relationship between household income and class identity tended to be strongest in countries with a high level of income inequality.
Source: Robert Andersen and Josh Curtis, 'The polarizing effect of economic inequality on class identification: evidence from 44 countries', Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, Volume 30 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Apr
A paper examined the impact of child benefits on the poverty risk of lone mothers in 15 European countries. Child benefits played a major role in complementing the household income of lone mothers: but the poverty-reducing impact differed greatly between countries, depending on the generosity and the design of the benefit system. Designing a system that was friendly to lone mothers did not necessarily come at a great cost. A well designed child benefit system had the potential to play a crucial role in strengthening women's autonomy.
Source: Wim Van Lancker, Joris Ghysels, and Bea Cantillon, An International Comparison of the Impact of Child Benefits on Poverty Outcomes for Single Mothers, Working Paper 12/03, Centre for Social Research (Antwerp University)
Date: 2012-Apr
A new book examined the scale and nature of child poverty across the globe. It included chapters on the methodology of measuring child poverty and deprivation, child poverty in the European Union, and child poverty in the United Kingdom.
Source: Alberto Minujin and Shailen Nandy (eds.), Global Child Poverty and Well-Being: Measurement, concepts, policy and action, Policy Press
Links: Text of book | Summary
Notes: Individual chapters included: David Gordon and Shailen Nandy, 'Measurement and methodologies: measuring child poverty and deprivation' | Isabelle Engsted-Maquet, 'Enhancing the fight against child poverty in the European Union: an EU benchmarking exercise' | Ruth Levitas, 'Utopia calling: eradicating child poverty in the United Kingdom and beyond'.
Date: 2012-Apr
An article examined the implementation of a universal basic income. It identified three important practical bottlenecks that might prevent a basic income scheme from attaining the universal reach desired and proclaimed by its advocates: maintaining a population-wide record of eligible claimants ensuring full take-up; instituting robust modalities of payment that reached all intended beneficiaries; and designing an effective oversight mechanism in a policy context that actively opposed client monitoring. The implementation of a universal basic income faced unique challenges that its proponents needed to consider carefully.
Source: Jurgen De Wispelaere and Lindsay Stirton, 'A disarmingly simple idea? Practical bottlenecks in the implementation of a universal basic income', International Social Security Review, Volume 65 Issue 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Apr
An article said that the global economic crisis of 2007-08 had been sparked primarily by mismanagement of capital markets through speculation and excessive risk-taking by very highly paid men (predominantly) in the financial centres of the western world: but the underlying causes were deeply rooted in the neo-liberal model of global development itself. Neo-liberalism was associated with unsustainable increases in earnings inequalities, and a related imbalance between productivity and wages, resulting in a fall in the share of output accruing to labour. These inequalities formed a key element in generating the crisis.
Source: Diane Perrons, '"Global" financial crisis, earnings inequalities and gender: towards a more sustainable model of development', Comparative Sociology, Volume 11 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Apr
A new book examined new doctrines, concepts, and interpretations on which a credible centre-left politics could be built in Europe. The editors said that social democracy needed to undergo 'profound renewal' if it were to address the exhausted form of western capitalist democracies: the narratives of both 'third way modernizers' and the 'traditional left' did not offer credible paths forward.
Source: Olaf Cramme and Patrick Diamond (eds.), After the Third Way: The future of social democracy in Europe, I B Tauris
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Apr
A paper examined and compared material deprivation in households in five European countries (Czech Republic, Finland, France, Spain, and United Kingdom), drawing on EU-SILC data. The highest share of materially deprived households was found in the UK – over one-fifth of all households in 2010 – making it the only country in the sample above the European Union mean. 27.5 per cent of economically weak households in the UK lived in areas with a high crime rate and vandalism: on the other hand, no measurable proportion (0 per cent) of economically weak households in the UK lacked a bath or shower and indoor toilet.
Source: Jana Stavkova, Nada Birciakova, and Jana Turcinkova, Material Deprivation in Selected EU Countries According to EU SILC Income Statistics, Working Papers in Business and Economics 19/2012, Mendel University (Brno, Czech Republic)
Links: Paper
Notes: EU-SILC = European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions
Date: 2012-Apr
A study of British and German survey data found that the knowledge of earning less than work colleagues and peers could raise a person's satisfaction levels – but only if they were under the age of 45. Younger workers were incentivized by the belief that they might one day earn the same. However, for those aged over 45, the bigger salaries of colleagues harmed self-esteem and reduced life satisfaction, because career opportunities were much more limited.
Source: Felix FitzRoy, Michael Nolan, Max Steinhardt, and David Ulph, So Far So Good: Age, happiness, and relative income, SOEPpaper 415, German Institute for Economic Research
Links: Paper | St Andrews University press release | Telegraph report
Date: 2012-Apr
A paper examined inequality trends in developed (OECD) countries since the 1980s. It investigated the development of inequality over time before analyzing the question of whether governments could effectively reduce inequality. There was some evidence that governments were capable of reducing income inequality despite countervailing behavioural adjustments. The effect was stronger for social expenditure policies than for progressive taxation, which seemed to trigger more inequality-increasing indirect behavioural effects. The results also suggested that the use of secondary inequality data should be handled with caution.
Source: Philipp Doerrenberg and Andreas Peichl, The Impact of Redistributive Policies on Inequality in OECD Countries, Discussion Paper 6505, Institute for the Study of Labor (Bonn)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Apr
A paper examined the extent to which tax-benefit systems provided an automatic stabilization of income for those who became unemployed in Europe at the onset of the global economic recession. It provided evidence on the differing degrees of relative and absolute resilience of the household incomes of newly unemployed people. These arose from the variations in the protection offered by national tax-benefit systems (depending on entitlement or not to unemployment benefits), and from the personal and household circumstances of those most recently at risk of unemployment,
Source: Fernandez Salgadid Marin, Francesco Figari, Holly Sutherland, and Alberto Tumino, Welfare Compensation for Unemployment in the Great Recession, EUROMOD Working Paper EM3/12, Institute for Social and Economic Research (University of Essex)
Links: Working paper | Abstract
Date: 2012-Apr
An article examined the impact of lifecourse family and labour market experiences on household incomes of older people in Belgium and the United Kingdom. Differences between the two countries could be explained in terms of welfare regime arrangements. Family experiences had a larger impact on incomes in old age in 'male-breadwinner' Belgium, whereas in Britain labour market events were more important. As social transfers in Britain were more aimed at poverty prevention and less at income replacement, a 'scarring effect' of unemployment persisted even into old age.
Source: Caroline Dewilde, 'Lifecourse determinants and incomes in retirement: Belgium and the United Kingdom compared', Ageing and Society, Volume 32 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Apr
A special report examined trends in statutory personal income tax and employee social security contribution provisions across developed (OECD) countries. Key findings included:
• The average number of tax brackets in OECD countries had strongly declined in the 1980s, and remained relatively stable throughout the 1990s and 2000s. Over the previous decade, reductions in the number of tax brackets have been generally accompanied by reductions in the top statutory income tax rate. The introduction of new tax brackets, though less common, had generally resulted in higher top statutory income tax rates. It thus appeared that changes in the number of tax brackets had been, with exceptions, not a policy goal in themselves but rather a tool to reduce or increase tax burdens, particularly at high income levels.
• On average across OECD countries, the top statutory income tax rate, inclusive of surtaxes and sub-central taxes, had declined significantly in each of the previous three decades. However, a small number of countries (including the United Kingdom) had increased their top income tax rate in 2010, signalling a reversal in the trend at a time of fiscal consolidation.
• In the previous decade, the statutory income tax rate levied on the average wage of a single worker had declined in 23 OECD countries. In contrast, there was no clear trend in the bottom statutory income tax rate from 2000 to 2010: although it had decreased in many OECD countries, it increased in others.
Source: 'Trends in Personal Income Tax and Employee Social Security Contribution Schedules', in Taxing Wages 2011, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Links: Report | Abstract | Table of contents
Date: 2012-Apr
An article drew on the Luxembourg Income Study to examine child poverty across a diverse group of countries, as of 2004-2006. It synthesized past LIS-based research on child poverty, focusing on studies that aimed to explain cross-national variation in child poverty rates. It then looked at child poverty in 20 high- and middle-income countries. It assessed poverty among all households and among those with children, and using multiple poverty measures (relative and absolute, pre- and post-taxes and transfers). It investigated the effects of factors such as family structure, educational attainment, and labour market attachment – considering how the effects of these factors varied across counties. It then analyzed the extent to which cross-national variation in child poverty was explained by families' characteristics and/or by the effects of (or returns to) those characteristics.
Source: Janet Gornick and Markus Jantti, 'Child poverty in cross-national perspective: Lessons from the Luxembourg Income Study', Children and Youth Services Review, Volume 34 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Apr
An article examined which family policies in developed countries were most effective at directly reducing poverty among families with children, and whether these policies indirectly reduced poverty through supporting mothers' employment. Significant effects were found of family allowances, generous parental leave, and childcare provision, with more powerful effects for lone mothers. Parental leave and childcare operated through boosting mothers' employment, illustrating that work-family policies were useful for reducing poverty by enhancing mothers' employment.
Source: Joya Misra, Stephanie Moller, Eiko Strader, and Elizabeth Wemlinger, 'Family policies, employment and poverty among partnered and single mothers', Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, Volume 30 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Apr
A paper said that the global economic crisis had been caused by the interaction of financial deregulation with rising inequality. Rising inequality created a downward pressure on aggregate demand, since it was poorer income groups that had high marginal propensities to consume. It had led to higher household debt, as working-class families had tried to keep up with social consumption norms despite stagnating or falling real wages. It had also increased the propensity to speculate, because richer households tended to hold riskier financial assets than other groups – the rise of hedge funds, and of subprime derivatives in particular, had been linked to the rise of the 'super rich'.
Source: Engelbert Stockhammer, Rising Inequality as a Root Cause of the Present Crisis, Working Paper 282, Political Economy Research Institute (University of Massachusetts, USA)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Apr
A report offered a comparative assessment of 31 developed (OECD) countries with regard to six key dimensions of social justice: poverty prevention, equitable access to education, labour market inclusiveness, social cohesion and non-discrimination, health, and intergenerational justice. Scandinavian countries were the most socially just, whereas southern European countries lay considerably below the OECD average. The United Kingdom ranked slightly above the average.
Source: Social Justice in the OECD: How do the member states compare?, Bertelsmann Foundation
Links: Report | Bertelsmann Foundation press release
Date: 2012-Mar
A new book investigated the hypothesis that obesity was a response to stress, and that some types of welfare regimes were more stressful than others. English-speaking market-liberal societies had higher levels of obesity, and also higher levels of labour and product market competition, which induced uncertainty and anxiety.
Source: Avner Offer, Rachel Pechey, and Stanley Ulijaszek (eds.), Insecurity, Inequality, and Obesity in Affluent Societies, Oxford University Press
Links: Summary
See also: Avner Offer, Rachel Pechey, and Stanley Ulijaszek, 'Obesity under affluence varies by welfare regimes: the effect of fast food, insecurity, and inequality', Economics & Human Biology, Volume 8 Issue 3
Date: 2012-Mar
A report examined new ways for European policy-makers and institutions to make social security systems (broadly defined) more sustainable in the face of long-term demographic trends and increased global competition. It investigated ways to achieve short- and long-term financial viability, as well as the key mechanisms that helped to achieve social cohesion, such as greater emphasis on social rights and social dialogue. It considered the main policy issues in sustaining programmes such as healthcare, social assistance and family benefits, pensions, unemployment and work incapacity benefits, and long-term care.
Source: Wouter van Ginneken, Sustaining European Social Security Systems in a Globalised Economy, Council of Europe
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Mar
A paper offered a comprehensive econometric investigation of the impact of income inequality on the values endorsed by people in developed (OECD) countries. The dimensions of value systems investigated were: work ethic, 'civism', obedience, honesty, altruism, and tolerance. In most cases, no robust effects from inequality on values were detected. However, there was some weak evidence that a more equal income distribution might reduce the work ethic of the population and increase its tolerance.
Source: Giacomo Corneo, Income Inequality, Value Systems, and Macroeconomic Performance, Discussion Paper 17, GINI Project (European Commission)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Mar
A paper examined the relationship between material deprivation and economic stress in European countries. Contrary to the expectation that experiencing basic deprivation in a national context of high income inequality was likely to be particularly stressful, the consequences of such deprivation were most negative in low-inequality countries.
Source: Christopher Whelan and Bertrand Maitre, Material Deprivation, Economic Stress and Referencing Groups in Europe: An analysis of EU-SILC2009, WP2012/06, Geary Institute (University College Dublin)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Mar
An article said that 'mandated' private pensions – provided they were appropriately designed and regulated – were a viable alternative to publicly administered retirement income protection.
Source: Mark Hyde, Adrian Barton, Sue Farrar, and Jonathan Moizer, 'Should Europeans fear the privatisation of pensions?', Journal of Comparative Social Welfare, Volume 28 Issue 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Mar
A paper provided a comparative analysis of patterns of deprivation in Europe, based on six relatively distinct dimensions of deprivation. The basic deprivation dimension was the sole dimension to display a graduated pattern of variation across countries. The analysis supported the suggestion that an emphasis on the primary role of income inequality to the neglect of differences in absolute levels of income might be misleading in important respects.
Source: Christopher Whelan and Bertrand Maitre, Understanding Material Deprivation in Europe: A multilevel analysis, WP2012/05, Geary Institute (University College Dublin)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Mar
A paper provided an updated analysis of income poverty in European countries, using EU-SILC longitudinal data – extending it to 2007 and to the newest member states. The analysis focused on income poverty mobility. Events related to the labour market were the most influential, because of both their frequency and their impact on poverty transitions. Demographic events were, on the contrary, much less relevant.
Source: Veronica Polin and Michele Raitano, Poverty Dynamics in Clusters of European Union Countries: Related events and main determinants, Working Paper 10, Department of Economics, University of Verona (Italy)
Links: Paper
Notes: EU-SILC = European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions
Date: 2012-Mar
A report highlighted growing forms of social inequality in all European Union member states. This trend was the result of long-term policy choices for market liberalism, and the prioritization of harsh austerity programmes after the global fiscal crisis. Inequalities were increasing in traditionally more 'egalitarian' societies, and there had been a reversal of historical trends for poorer EU regions to catch up and converge with richer ones. The report criticized the increase in the number of workers (in particular young workers) who were getting trapped in insecure and sub-standard contracts.
Source: Benchmarking Working Europe 2012, European Trade Union Institute/European Trade Union Confederation
Links: Report
Date: 2012-Mar
A paper examined child deprivation in Europe. It estimated the degree to which deprivation was experienced by children in 29 countries, using a child-specific scale. There were considerable differences between the countries involved. The (non-)overlap between child deprivation and child monetary poverty was considerable but limited. The results indicated where policy interventions could produce improvements.
Source: Chris de Neubourg, Jonathan Bradshaw, Yekaterina Chzhen, Gill Main, Bruno Martorano, and Leonardo Menchini, Child Deprivation, Multidimensional Poverty and Monetary Poverty in Europe, Working Paper 2012-02, UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre (Florence)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Mar
A paper examined the extent to which tax and transfer systems in Europe protected households at different income levels against losses in income caused by economic downturns. The aggregate redistributive effect of the systems increased in response to economic shocks: but the extent to which households were protected differed across income levels and countries. In particular, there was little stabilization of disposable income for low-income groups in eastern and southern European countries.
Source: Mathias Dolls, Clemens Fuest, and Andreas Peichl, Automatic Stabilizers, Economic Crisis and Income Distribution in Europe, Discussion Paper 23, GINI Project (European Commission)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Mar
A report examined the development of the social charter of the Council of Europe, its relationship with other international agreements on human rights, and the new issues that it would need to confront in the future.
Source: Carole Benelhocine, The European Social Charter, Council of Europe
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Mar
A new book examined why, when, and how unemployed people in Europe had organized themselves and mobilized – at levels ranging from the local to the transnational.
Source: Didier Chabanet and Jean Faniel (eds.), The Mobilization of the Unemployed in Europe: From acquiescence to protest?, Palgrave Macmillan
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Mar
A paper examined legislation on the taxation of intergenerational transfers in developed (OECD) countries. Institutional arrangements on estate taxations varied widely between countries. Revenues were generally low, and decreasing from 1 per cent in the mid-sixties to 0.4 per cent after 1980 – suggesting that little redistribution took place through taxation of intergenerational transfers. But it was hard to establish a causal link between the increase in wealth and income inequality and the vanishing transfer tax.
Source: Tullio Jappelli, Mario Padula, and Giovanni Pica, Transfer Taxes and Inequality, Discussion Paper 21, GINI Project (European Commission)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Mar
A report set out a series of steps designed to build an inclusive Europe, based on alternative and sustainable solutions to the economic crisis. It called for: more open and inclusive governance; putting employment and social protection at the heart of Europe; strengthening the role of the state in delivering universal and equitable welfare; support for a Social and Green New Deal; and fairer distribution of wealth.
Source: Katherine Duffy, Re-Engaging Hope and Expectations: Getting out of the crisis together – Alternative approaches for an inclusive recovery, European Anti-Poverty Network
Links: Report | EAPN press release
Date: 2012-Mar
An article examined the association between social transfer policies and poverty in developed (OECD) countries for the period 1985-2005.
Source: Koen Caminad, Kees Goudswaard, and Ferry Koster, 'Social income transfers and poverty: a cross-country analysis for OECD countries', International Journal of Social Welfare, Volume 21 Issue 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Mar
An article said that the privatization of pensions could not be assessed in isolation, but only within the context of the overall institutional arrangements for security in old age in the country concerned. It compared recent developments in two countries, Germany and the United Kingdom, with different welfare state traditions.
Source: Lutz Leisering, 'Pension privatization in a welfare state environment: socializing private pensions in Germany and the United Kingdom', Journal of Comparative Social Welfare, Volume 28 Issue 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Mar
A paper examined recent trends in the labour markets and welfare systems of EU countries in respect of 'non-standard' workers such as young people, women, and those with low educational qualifications. Due to data deficiencies, it was difficult to judge conclusively whether the economic crisis had contributed to more or less segmentation in welfare coverage.
Source: Janine Leschke, Has the Economic Crisis Contributed to More Segmentation in Labour Market and Welfare Outcomes?, Working Paper 2012.02, European Trade Union Institute
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Feb
In 2010, 23.4 per cent of the population of the European Union were at risk of poverty or social exclusion (either at risk of poverty, severely materially deprived, or living in households with very low work intensity). 27 per cent of children aged below 18 were at risk, compared with 23 per cent of the working-age population (aged 18-64) and 20 per cent of the elderly population (aged 65 and over).
Source: Melina Antuofermo and Emilio Di Meglio, Statistics in Focus 9/2012, Eurostat (European Union)
Links: Bulletin | Eurostat press release | Caritas press release
Date: 2012-Feb
A paper examined the impact of the economic crisis on employment, unemployment, earnings, and inequality in the member states of the European Union. In a small majority of the countries, inequality had declined and poverty rates had dropped. But government austerity packages would probably sharpen the divisions between groups – employed versus unemployed, and high- versus low-income groups – with the result that the largest impact of the crisis on incomes and income inequality was yet to come.
Source: Paul de Beer, The Impact of the Crisis on Earnings and Income Distribution in the EU, Working Paper 2012.01, European Trade Union Institute
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Feb
An article examined the role of labour market policy and institutional factors in explaining cross-national differences in earnings mobility across Europe in the 1990s. The generosity of unemployment benefit was found to limit the adverse effects of macroeconomic shocks on earnings mobility.
Source: Denisa Maria Sologon and Cathal O Donoghue, 'Shaping earnings mobility: policy and institutional factors', European Journal of Comparative Economics, Volume 8 Number 2
See also: 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)
Date: 2012-Feb
A policy brief examined the impact of the global economic crisis on recent developments in social legislation in Europe. The initial stage had not produced major changes: but the second stage, involving a public debt crisis, promised far more sweeping changes, many of which would represent a step backwards in terms of social policy and call into question the European social model.
Source: Sylvaine Laulom, Emmanuelle Mazuyer, Christophe Teissier, Claude Emmanuel Triomphe, and Pascale Vielle, How Has the Crisis Affected Social Legislation in Europe?, European Trade Union Institute
Links: Briefing
Date: 2012-Feb
A new book examined the arguments for and against basic income from the point of view of economic and social justice. It said that the basic income proposal provided the foundation for an 'inspiring and attractive' vision of a society that was at the same time economically and socially more equal, more liberal with respect to the diversity of different ways to live, and more environmentally sustainable than existing welfare states.
Source: Simon Birnbaum, Basic Income Reconsidered: Social justice, liberalism, and the demands of equality , Palgrave Macmillan
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Feb
A paper examined whether there was a relation between income inequality and trust in a sample of western developed economies. No significant effect of inequality on trust was found when account was taken of national wealth – suggesting that in western countries the amount of resources rather than its distribution explained trust.
Source: Sander Steijn and Bram Lancee, Does Income Inequality Negatively Affect General Trust?, Discussion Paper 20, GINI Project (European Commission)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Feb
The European Commission published (following consultation) a White Paper on the future of pensions systems. It put forward a range of initiatives to: help create the right conditions so that those who were able to do so could continue working – leading to a better balance between time in work and time in retirement; ensure that people who moved to another European Union country could keep their pension rights; and help people save more and ensure that people got what they expected in retirement.
Source: An Agenda for Adequate, Safe and Sustainable Pensions, European Commission
Links: White Paper | European Commission press release | CBI press release | ETUC press release | EWL press release
Date: 2012-Feb
A new book examined the process of 'dualization' in developed societies – the creation, widening, and deepening of 'insider-outsider' divides within the context of a seemingly structural trend towards increased inequality. Although increased structural labour market divides could be found across all countries, governments had a strong responsibility for shaping the distributive consequences of these labour market changes. Insider-outsider divides were ultimately the result of political choice.
Source: Patrick Emmenegger, Silja Hausermann, Bruno Palier, and Martin Seeleib-Kaiser (eds.), The Age of Dualization: The changing face of inequality in deindustrializing societies, Oxford University Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Feb
An article examined the association between temporary employment and poverty in a European comparative perspective, focusing on possible gender dimensions. Temporary workers had a higher poverty risk compared with permanent workers, mainly caused by lower wages. Differences between European welfare regimes demonstrated that policy constellations influenced the magnitude of risk factors. Temporary women workers had a lower poverty risk than their male counterparts: they were better protected because they were more often secondary earners in a dual-earning household, while men were more often primary earners.
Source: Wim Van Lancker, 'The European world of temporary employment: gendered and poor?', European Societies, Volume 14 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Feb
A new book examined the rise of welfare markets in western societies, focusing on old age provision (both retirement provision and elderly care). It considered whether pension and care systems were converging under the influence of globalization – with marketization being a key phenomenon – and to what extent this was creating a transnational culture of welfare markets.
Source: Ingo Bode, The Culture of Welfare Markets: The international recasting of pension and care systems, Routledge
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Feb
A paper examined how relative poverty should be defined and measured in a European Union where there were substantial variations in income between countries, as well as within countries. Europe-wide comparisons were more important to the perception of poverty than the convention of national relative poverty lines would tend to suggest. Even relative poverty was more prevalent in the new low-income (eastern) countries than in the old high-income (western) countries: but this was as much a political as an empirical issue.
Source: Richard Berthoud, Calibrating a Cross-European Poverty Line, Working Paper 2012-02, Institute for Social and Economic Research (University of Essex)
Links: Working paper | Abstract
Date: 2012-Feb
A report examined changes in social protection systems across European Union countries in 2010-11. The financial, economic, and budgetary crisis had not led to a complete re-orientation of social protection policies: but it had often strengthened the rationale for reforms.
Source: Sabine Horstmann, Synthesis Report 2011, Analytic Support on the Socio-Economic Impact of Social Protection Reforms – Expert Network (European Commission)
Links: Report
Date: 2012-Feb
A report examined the social impact in Europe of the global economic crisis, including trends in poverty and social exclusion, labour market developments, and national policy responses. Between 2009 and 2010 there had been a significant increase in the number of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion, and in the number living in severe material deprivation. The situation had probably worsened further since 2010.
Source: Third Report on the Social Impact of the Economic Crisis and Ongoing Fiscal Consolidation, Social Protection Committee/European Union
Links: Report
Date: 2012-Feb
A paper examined whether population ageing in developed (OECD) countries had led to patterns of welfare spending that were biased towards elderly people; whether increasing political power by elderly people was a main causal factor behind these processes; and which particular countries were the most (and the least) pro-elderly biased.
Source: Pieter Vanhuysse, Does Population Aging Drive Up Pro-Elderly Social Spending?, Research Paper 7, European Social Observatory (Brussels)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Feb
A paper examined the degree of social exclusion at European Union level in 2008, the country clusters related to this, and the level and trend of poverty on a country level. The at-risk-of-poverty rate varied between 9 per cent and 26 per cent across EU member states.
Source: Orsolya Lelkes and Katrin Gasior, Income Poverty and Social Exclusion in the EU: Situation in 2008 and trends (based on EU-SILC 2005-2009), European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research (Vienna)
Links: Briefing
Date: 2012-Feb
A report said that workplace inequalities had increased significantly across Europe as a result of the global economic crisis, and would continue to do so as more and more countries introduced austerity measures and labour 'reforms'.
Source: Daniel Vaughan-Whitehead (ed.), Work Inequalities in the Crisis: Evidence from Europe, International Labour Organization
Links: Summary | ILO press release
Date: 2012-Feb
An article examined the economic literature on wage inequality and the role of institutions in developed (OECD) countries.
Source: Mirella Damiani, Jens Holscher, and Fabrizio Pompei, 'Labour market inequalities and the role of institutions', European Journal of Comparative Economics, Volume 8 Number 2
Date: 2012-Feb
An article examined methodologies and strategies appropriate for the development of indicators of poverty in deprivation in Europe at the level of sub-national regions.
Source: Gianni Betti, Francesca Gagliardi, Achille Lemmi, and Vijay Verma, 'Subnational indicators of poverty and deprivation in Europe: methodology and applications', Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, Volume 5 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Feb
A paper examined whether European Union governments had improved the capacity of social safety nets during the first phase of the global economic crisis. Many countries had introduced supportive measures, in particular in the form of additional increases in gross minimum income benefits; more generous child benefits had helped to increase the net disposable incomes of families on minimum incomes; and in a limited number of countries, activation efforts aimed at minimum income recipients had been intensified. But despite some improvements, social safety nets remained far below widely accepted poverty thresholds – including the European Union's own official measure.
Source: Sarah Marchal, Ive Marx, and Natascha Van Mechelen, Do Europe's Minimum Income Schemes Provide Adequate Shelter Against the Economic Crisis and How, If at All, Have Governments Responded?, Discussion Paper 6264, Institute for the Study of Labor (Bonn)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Jan
A report examined the social dimensions of the new European Union policies on economic governance. It highlighted concern that the burgeoning debt crisis in Europe would develop into a 'massive social crisis', and over a 'worrying lack of solidarity' among member states and their citizenries.
Source: Gordon Bajnai, Thomas Fischer, Stephanie Hare, Sarah Hoffmann, Kalypso Nicola dis, Vanessa Rossi, Juri Viehoff, and Andrew Watt, Solidarity: For Sale? The social dimension of the new European economic governance, Bertelsmann Stiftung
Links: Report
Date: 2012-Jan
A paper examined cross-country data for developed (OECD) countries over the period 1985-2005 in order to identify evidence of intergenerational conflicts. Little evidence was found for intergenerational conflict in general: however, those people who were close to (statutory) retirement age disliked public expenditure for families and education because, once they retired, they had to adapt to lower retirement income levels compared with previous work income. This effect lasted for a transitory period only.
Source: Tim Krieger and Jens Ruhose, 'Honey, I Shrunk the Kids' Benefits!': Revisiting intergenerational conflict in OECD countries, Working Paper 2011-13, Center for International Economics, University of Paderborn (Germany)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Jan
An article examined the link between pension systems and the adequacy of retirement income in European countries. Only a few countries had been successful in providing combinations of private and public pensions that improved the adequacy of retirement income.
Source: Jenny Onyx, Sue Kenny, and Kevin Brown, 'Welfare systems and adequacy of pension benefits in Europe', Social Policy and Society, Volume 11 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Jan
An article examined the policy responses of 14 western European countries to rising unemployment and the increased need for benefits during working age. The resulting typology consisted of four responses: an extensive safety net operating well with functioning labour markets; a liberal protection type dealing with low levels of unemployment; a targeted protection type combined with an insider-outsider divide on the labour market; and a patchy safety net facing high unemployment levels.
Source: Michaela Pfeifer, 'Comparing unemployment protection and social assistance in 14 European countries: four worlds of protection for people of working age', International Journal of Social Welfare, Volume 21 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Jan
A report examined the impact of the financial and economic crisis on social security systems around the world, and subsequent responses by social security administrations. Faced with the risk of social unrest in advanced economies such as those of the European Union, the case for continued investment in social security administrations was strong: the recent crisis had made clear social security's critical counter-cyclical role, not only in softening the impact of the crisis but also in ensuring a consolidated recovery in many affected countries.
Source: Coping with the Crisis: Managing social security in uncertain times, International Social Security Association
Links: Report
Date: 2012-Jan
A report summarized the findings of national reports written by members of the European Union Network of Independent Experts on Social Inclusion. The experts concluded that during 2011 the financial and economic crisis, together with associated austerity measures, had led to an increase in poverty and social exclusion in more than half the member states.
Source: Hugh Frazer and Eric Marlier, 2011 Assessment of Social Inclusion Policy Developments in the EU: Main findings and suggestions on the way forward, EU Network of Independent Experts on Social Inclusion (European Commission)
Links: Report
Date: 2012-Jan
A new book examined the effects of the global financial crisis on welfare states around the world. One chapter compared reactive policy strategies in Germany, the United Kingdom, and Sweden.
Source: Bent Greve (ed.), The Times They Are Changing? Crisis and the welfare state, Wiley
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Jan
A paper examined the strictness of eligibility criteria for unemployment benefits for 36 developed (OECD and European Union) countries. It covered entitlement conditions (employment and/or contribution requirements to gain access to benefits and sanctions for voluntary unemployment), job-search requirements (availability requirements during active labour market programmes and suitable work criteria), monitoring of job-search effort, and sanctions for refusing a job offer or programme placement. These qualitative data were then used to compile a composite indicator of the strictness of eligibility criteria, and some comparisons were made with the results of a similar exercise for earlier periods.
Source: Danielle Venn, Eligibility Criteria for Unemployment Benefits: Quantitative indicators for OECD and EU countries, Social, Employment and Migration Working Paper 131, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Jan
A report set out a series of case studies from European countries on building the participation of people with direct experience of poverty and social exclusion.
Source: Breaking Barriers – Driving Change: Case studies of building participation of people experiencing poverty, European Anti-Poverty Network
Links: Report | EAPN press release
Date: 2012-Jan
