Work intensity among European workers is still high, although it has not increased over the past five years, according to the first findings of the 5th European Working Conditions Survey.


The survey also found that for most workers (67%), the pace of work is set by direct demands from people and working at high speeds remains high. The extent to which workers can make their own decisions about how they do their job has not changed, leaving a large number of workers ill-equipped to deal with work’s demands. Furthermore, workers in the EU27 remain as exposed to physical hazards as EU12 workers did 20 years ago.

However, in 2010, training paid for by employers was at its highest level since 1995 (for the EU15), with 34% of workers receiving training in the last 12 months. This is a break in a 15-year trend in which employer-provided training had not increased. And around 60% of workers feel that they would be able to do their current job at the age of 60, a marginal increase since 2000.

Ensuring quality of work and employment is a core element in achieving an economically dynamic and socially cohesive European Union. Examining how working conditions have changed, or remained the same, can shed light on what progress is being made towards this goal. The European Working Conditions Survey is the only survey available at European level that looks at work in many dimensions. This time, the survey was carried out to see how quality of work and employment is faring during the economic crisis. ‘It is important that we know what is really happening in the workplace, so that we can help policymakers design policies that are relevant and that are tackling the real issues,’ says Jorma Karppinen, Eurofound’s Director.

For most indicators of working time stability, the figures have remained the same since 2000, with 67% of workers working the same numbers of hours per week, and 58% working the same number of hours every day. Furthermore, the proportion of European workers who work the same number of days per week has increased somewhat, rising from 74% of the workforce in 2005 to 77% in 2010. Slightly fewer workers in 2010 than in 2000 start and finish work at the same time every day, 61% in 2010 as against 65% in 2000.