Flexicurity indicators for monitoring European employment strategy

Flexicurity is a European labour market policy adopted in 2007 within the European Employment Strategy. The policy aims at combining the ongoing flexibilization of employment relations (easing firing and hiring, adjustable working hours, variable pay, etc.) with the traditions of the European welfare state.

The paper summarizes empirical studies from about 30 research reports and articles written from 2004 to 2010, in an attempt to operationalize the concept from eight different viewpoints: (1) neo-liberal, (2) trade-unionist, (3) of the European welfare state, (4) of working time, (5) of precarious employment, (6) of job quality and lifelong learning, (7) of trends in collective agreements, and (8) of macroeconomic development with regard to the current crisis.  

The summary provides empirical evidence of increasing labour flexibility accompanied by a decline of social security. It also shows that the countries with higher flexibility are more affected by the crisis. This is a serious warning against improper implementation of flexicurity and its one-sided use in favour of employers.