2013年-CEPS欧洲政策研究中心_A_New_European_Agenda_for_Labour_Mobility_72页_778kb

Summary of "A New European Agenda for Labour Mobility"

Core Content

This report, produced by a CEPS-ECHR Joint Task Force, outlines a new agenda for promoting occupational and geographical mobility within the European Union. It addresses the challenges posed by an aging and shrinking working-age population, and emphasizes the need for better alignment between the skills of the workforce and the demands of the economy. The report highlights the importance of mobility for economic growth, competitiveness, and social protection systems, and proposes a series of recommendations to improve the situation.

Main Findings

• Demographic Trends:
  The working-age population in the EU is aging and declining, with these trends expected to intensify in the next 10–20 years. EU enlargement does not significantly alter this outlook, as new member states also face similar demographic challenges.

• Occupational Mobility:

  • The EU-15 experienced an average annual job turnover rate of 10% in the 1990s, with 15 million jobs created and lost.
  • The average job tenure in the EU is 10.6 years, significantly higher than in the US (6.7 years).
  • Countries like Denmark, the Netherlands, and Sweden show higher occupational mobility, while Greece, Belgium, and parts of Germany lag behind.
  • Young workers (aged 15–24) exhibit the highest occupational mobility, decreasing with age.

• Geographical Mobility:

  • Intra-EU mobility is low, with only 0.1% of the EU population moving between member states annually.
  • Immigration from non-EU countries is growing, with up to one million persons entering the EU yearly.
  • Luxembourg, Austria, and Ireland are the most mobile EU countries, while southern EU nations show lower mobility.
  • Only 38% of EU citizens would consider moving to find a new job, and 34% prefer to stay in the same region even if unemployed.

• EU Efforts in Mobility Policies:

  • The Lisbon Strategy aims to improve employment and competitiveness by leveraging the potential of EU citizens.
  • Progress has been made in education and lifelong learning, but investment in knowledge and innovation remains a challenge in many EU member states.
  • The EU has made strides in reducing legal, administrative, and linguistic barriers for students, trainees, and researchers, with initiatives like Erasmus serving as a positive example.

• Role of Business in Promoting Mobility:

  • Innovative and global companies have developed mobility policies to enhance productivity and competitiveness.
  • Companies are increasingly using international assignments to meet business needs, but face legal and administrative obstacles in the EU.
  • Multinational corporations often set up offshore pension and share-option plans to manage cross-border mobility, but lack of EU harmonization leads to administrative inefficiencies and costs.

• Challenges and Paradoxes:

  • Despite EU efforts to facilitate mobility, intra-EU migration remains low, while non-EU immigration is rising.
  • The EU has not yet fully capitalized on the potential of its internal labor market and needs to improve communication and implementation of mobility policies.

Key Recommendations

1. Focus the Lisbon Mid-Term Review on Labour Market Resourcing

   • The EU should prioritize resource allocation to ensure the labor market is adequately staffed and aligned with future economic needs.
   • This includes improving occupational mobility, internal EU mobility, and targeted immigration policies to attract skilled workers.

2. Appoint a Commissioner for Mobility

   • A dedicated commissioner should be appointed to make mobility a priority and coordinate EU-level policies.
   • This role would enhance information sharing, policy coherence, and accountability for mobility-related actions.
   • The commissioner should also study the feasibility of a unified EU statute for mobile employees.

3. Annual Review of Mobility Policies in Member States

   • The EU should conduct an annual review of mobility policies in all 25 member states to identify leading and lagging countries.
   • This would create pressure for improvement and ensure effective enforcement of EU principles.
   • The report suggests that the Social Dialogue Committee should prioritize mobility in its joint work programme.

4. Strengthen Corporate Mobility Policies

   • Businesses should be encouraged to form a European business mobility network to share best practices and improve policies.
   • The network could support peer reviews and act as a unified voice for enterprises in EU mobility initiatives, especially in pension and tax regulations.

Conclusion

The report calls for a new European agenda that supports occupational and geographical mobility as essential components of the EU’s economic and social development. It emphasizes the need for closer cooperation between EU institutions and businesses, and for policy harmonization to reduce administrative barriers and improve mobility outcomes. The goal is to create a more integrated, dynamic, and competitive EU labor market that benefits both businesses and workers.

Annexes and Supporting Material

• Annex 1: Describes the Danish model as an example of a flexible labor market with high job security.
• Annex 2: Includes case studies of immigration policies in Germany, Ireland, and Canada.
• Annex 3: Highlights good practices in international assignment policies by companies like Schlumberger and Volvo 3P.
• Annex 4: Lists members of the Task Force.

Call for Reaction

CEPS and ECHR invite policy-makers, businesses, researchers, and other stakeholders to provide feedback and contribute to the development of a new mobility agenda. The report is available on both CEPS and ECHR websites.