For workers, another year of living dangerously
Workers have stood on the frontline of the pandemic, but the ITUC Global Rights Index documents an anti-worker agenda.
Economy
Social Europe is an award-winning digital media publisher driven by the core values of freedom, sustainability, and equality. These principles guide our exploration of society’s most pressing challenges. This archive page curates Social Europe articles focused on economic issues, offering a rich resource for innovative thinking and informed debate.
Revised posted workers directive: throwing out the baby with the bathwater?
The EU needs to acknowledge the vital economic role of posting and differentiate the rules according to its different types.
When capital relinquishes ownership
As the ownership of firms becomes transferred to algorithmically-controlled index funds, why not put their human employees in charge instead?
The platform economy—time for more democracy at work
The platform economy has intensified power imbalances between companies and their workers, which only collective voice can redress.
Strengthening social and labour rights for farmers and farm workers
The opportunity of CAP reform to cultivate fairer and more sustainable agriculture must not be wasted.
A ‘vision zero’ goal for accidents at work
There are no acceptable levels of workplace fatalities—a focus on prevention is needed.
Trading on hope: why projections of the EU-Mercosur agreement are unreliable
The EU-Mercosur agreement, on which negotiations ended a year ago, awaits signing and ratification. They should be in no rush.
Are social clauses really just hidden protectionism?
Social clauses in trade deals are sometimes represented as a premise for denial of market access to developing countries. The evidence suggests otherwise.
Inflation in the strongest recovery since 1945
Governments should ignore siren warnings that only hyperinflation can come from pandemic-induced investments.
Robots, jobs and the future of work
Apocalyptic visions of robots stealing workers’ jobs are not only misguided but have diverted attention from more significant trends.
From California capitalism to Bidenomics
The Biden administration's ambitious spending and investment programmes have already proven highly successful in the country's most dynamic state.
Migration and innovation
The bad news for Germany’s sophisticated economy is innovation by indigenous Germans is declining. The good news is migrants are more than compensating.
It’s time to rewrite the macroeconomic rulebook for the euro area
Peter Bofinger contends that the economic impact of the pandemic has rendered obsolete the old eurozone fiscal rules.
Tourism in Europe: a new model
Rebuilding tourism is a priority but the sector must become more sustainable and resilient, with workers and quality jobs at the heart of recovery.
The marginalisation of Africa
Branko Milanovic argues African countries are not powerless to influence the global economic debates that marginalise them.
Can Europe roll back the normalisation of precarious work for young people?
After the financial crash, the pandemic has rendered the labour market for young people across Europe even more precarious than before.