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Avatar photoCarlos Vacas-Soriano

Carlos Vacas-Soriano is a research manager in the employment unit at Eurofound. He works on wage and income inequalities, minimum wages, low pay, temporary employment and employment quality.

Europe’s Wealth Gap Threatens Social Cohesion As Housing Crisis Deepens

Carlos Vacas-Soriano

Extreme wealth concentration across the EU undermines opportunity and security for millions while property ownership becomes increasingly unattainable.

Closing the Chasm: Central and Eastern Europe’s Continued Minimum Wage Climb

Carlos Vacas-Soriano and Christine Aumayr-Pintar

Minimum wages in Central and Eastern Europe continue to rise.

A diverse regional picture in income disparities across Europe

Carlos Vacas-Soriano

After years of being sidelined in the European policy debate as labour markets recovered in the wake of the Great Recession, inequality is back on the agenda.

Ensuring adequate minimum wages in an age of inflation

Carlos Vacas-Soriano and Christine Aumayr-Pintar

Minimum wages have risen across Europe this year. Inflation is eroding them.

Minimum wage—yet another gender divide?

Carlos Vacas-Soriano

The number of minimum-wage earners has increased across Europe over the last decade—and they are more likely to be women.

Minimum wages rise, but more slowly

Carlos Vacas-Soriano and Christine Aumayr-Pintar

Convergence of central and eastern-European EU members towards older ones with high minimum wages is much stronger than in the Mediterranean countries.

The new Spanish minimum wage

Carlos Vacas-Soriano

Raising wage floors is one way to reduce inequality and stimulate recovery in Europe. A big uplift in the Spanish minimum wage this year provides a test bed.

Germany’s Minimum Wage Has Reduced Wage Inequality

Carlos Vacas-Soriano

Wages grew and wage inequality fell in most EU countries in 2015. Germany is not one of the countries where wages rose most but it

Europe’s Shrinking Middle Class

Carlos Vacas-Soriano and Enrique Fernández-Macías

The Great Recession depressed real income levels across European countries. But the impact was very unequal across countries and income groups. Countries in the European

EU Income Inequality And The Great Recession

Carlos Vacas-Soriano and Enrique Fernández-Macías

EU-wide income inequality declined notably prior to 2008, driven by a strong process of income convergence between European countries. The Great Recession broke this trend.

ETUI Advertisement

A more strategic Europe? Risks and opportunities for the world of work

Europe’s ambition to achieve strategic autonomy is at risk of being undermined from within, according to the annual flagship report by the ETUI and the ETUC. Despite signs of macroeconomic resilience, weakening investment, stalled decarbonisation and growing labour market fragilities are eroding the very foundations on which Europe’s power depends. Once again, the Benchmarking Working Europe 2026 report stands out as an invaluable resource, providing a comprehensive set of indicators illustrated through more than 60 graphs and tables, with analysis from ETUI researchers.

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Eurofound Advertisement

Is financial resilience and trust in Europe faltering?

In this episode of Eurofound Talks, host Mary McCaughey and senior researcher Eszter Sandor unpack the results of the 2025 Living and Working in the EU e-survey. While headline inflation has stabilised at 2.1%, the data reveals a continent gripped by chronic precariousness, with 57% of respondents now at risk of depression. Mary and Eszter explore how this economic insecurity is impacting institutional trust and democratic engagement.

LISTEN HERE
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The Spring issue of The Progressive Post is out!

In geopolitics, 2026 is challenging our certainties: from the abduction of the Venezuelan president, over the open US threats to 'take' Greenland, to the US-Israeli war on Iran. This issue tries to determine what comes next, debating power politics in the 21st century. We also examine the European Commission's first Anti-Poverty Strategy as well as the EU's need for proactive adaptation measures, exploring the legislation, resources and mechanisms to climate-proof our future.

READ THE MAGAZINE
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WSI Minimum Wage Report 2026

Minimum wage policy across Europe has shifted significantly, with many EU countries raising wages above average and anchoring them to adequate living standards. This trend is consolidating as countries increasingly adopt the reference values recommended in the European Minimum Wage Directive — recently upheld by the European Court of Justice.

DOWNLOAD THE REPORT
S&D Group in the European Parliament Advertisement

WSI Minimum Wage Report 2026

Minimum wage policy across Europe has shifted significantly, with many EU countries raising wages above average and anchoring them to adequate living standards. This trend is consolidating as countries increasingly adopt the reference values recommended in the European Minimum Wage Directive — recently upheld by the European Court of Justice.

DOWNLOAD THE PAPER

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