Perspectives on Job Mobility in Europe

The European Commission has released a report setting out in a consolidated way the rights of Europeans to live and work in another EU country. The report also provides an update on legal developments in the past decade. Currently, 2.3% of people in the EU reside in a Member State other than their own. However, a new Eurobarometer survey also presented today finds that 17% of Europeans envisage working abroad in the future and 48% would consider looking for work in another country or region if they were to lose their job. The survey sheds light on Europeans’ attitudes to worker mobility and found that:
■ Most Europeans think moving countries or regions is good for EU integration, half think it’s good for the economy, labour market and individuals, but fewer think it’s good for families.
■ 10% of Europeans say they have lived abroad for work either within or outside the EU at some point in their lives, while 13% have done so for education and training. 41% know a friend of relative who has either worked or studied abroad.
■ 17% of Europeans envisage working abroad in the future, ranging from 51% in Denmark to just 4% in Italy. 34% of Europeans rate the chances of finding a job abroad better than at home.
■ Unemployment is a powerful reason to move: 48% of Europeans would consider moving regions or countries for work if they lost their job.
As part of its new ten-year strategy: Europe 2020, the Commission will work on facilitating and promoting intra-EU mobility. In particular, the flagship initiative ‘An agenda for new skills and jobs’, due to be adopted by the Commission in the second half of 2010, aims to increase labour participation and better match labour supply and demand, including through labour mobility.