Making the Most of EU Labour Mobility

CEPS Task Force Reports, 2014

52 Pages Posted: 9 Oct 2014

See all articles by Mikkel Barslund

Mikkel Barslund

Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS)

Matthias Busse

Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS)

Date Written: October 7, 2014

Abstract

This Task Force report combines the most recent data from Eurostat with national sources to highlight the most significant labour mobility trends within the EU. Overall, the recent recession has not induced previously immobile workers to become more mobile, at least not in the larger member states. Mobility flows have moved away from crisis countries in response to the economic downturn but the desired increase in south-north mobility has not been observed so far. This leads the authors to conclude that successfully fostering mobility within EU15 countries requires tremendous effort. It is important that workers who are willing and able to move are not discouraged from doing so by unnecessary barriers to mobility. Improving the workings of the EURES system and its online job-matching platform; better cooperation of national employment agencies; streamlining the recognition of qualifications; and supporting language training within the EU are important contributions to labour mobility.

The authors conclude that the EU is right to defend the free movement of workers. National governments should keep in mind that their ability to tap into an attractive foreign labour supply also hinges upon the perception of how mobile workers are treated in destination countries. If the political imperative requires regulations to be changed, such as the one guiding the coordination of social security, it is essential that no new mobility barriers are put in place.

Keywords: labour mobility, free movement of workers, EU labour mobility

Suggested Citation

Barslund, Mikkel and Busse, Matthias, Making the Most of EU Labour Mobility (October 7, 2014). CEPS Task Force Reports, 2014, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2507228

Mikkel Barslund (Contact Author)

Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) ( email )

1 Place du Congres, 1000
Brussels, 1000
Belgium

Matthias Busse

Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) ( email )

1 Place du Congres, 1000
Brussels, 1000
Belgium

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
281
Abstract Views
1,105
Rank
197,878
PlumX Metrics