Living and working in Europe 2024
Published: 8 May 2025
Living and working in Europe 2024 provides a snapshot of Eurofound’s key research findings on the changing nature of work and life across the EU. Labour and skills shortages continued to dominate policy debates, as structural issues linked to demographic shifts, poor job quality and the demands of the green and digital transitions intensified recruitment challenges. The report examines how the cost-of-living crisis has persisted – despite easing inflation – and continues to affect households across income levels. It also explores the ongoing housing crisis, which is delaying key life transitions for young people and contributing to growing social inequality. Meanwhile, access to social protection remains uneven, particularly for unemployed and self-employed workers. Eurofound’s latest survey data also reveal a decline in remote work opportunities, despite worker preferences for hybrid arrangements. The report also highlights declining trust in institutions, closely linked to financial insecurity. Taken together, the findings capture the challenges and opportunities of this period of profound transition, reinforcing the importance of inclusive, evidence-based policymaking to support a fair and sustainable Europe.
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This section provides information on the data contained in this publication.
The report contains the following lists of tables and figures.
List of tables
Table 1: Impact of the greening of the economy on occupational groups
Table 2: Job quality resources across occupational types affected by the green transition, 2021
Table 3: Main reasons enterprises use robots, EU Member States, 2022 (%)
Table 4: Types of coworking spaces
List of figures
Figure 1: Job vacancy rates, EU Member States, Q3, 2021–2023 (%)
Figure 3: Average life satisfaction rating, by disability status, EU, 2021–2024 (scale 1–10)
Figure 4: SMEs that recruited non-EU workers, EU and Member States, 2023 (% of SMEs)
Figure 5: Reasons why SMEs did not recruit from outside the EU, 2023 (% of SMEs)
Figure 6: Job quality index, by sector, EU27, 2021 (%)
Figure 8: SMEs’ perceived impacts of skills shortages, EU, 2023 (% of SMEs)
Figure 9: Companies providing training, EU and Member States, 2015 and 2020 (%)
Figure 10: Strategies to address skills shortages in SMEs, EU, 2023 (% of SMEs)
Figure 11: Heat pump stock and heat pump annual sales, selected EU Member States and Norway, 2023
Figure 12: Job quality index, by greening occupational group, EU27 (%)
Figure 13: Proportion of respondents with cost-of-living difficulties, EU, 2022–2024 (%)
Figure 14: Share of enterprises using industrial or service robots, EU Member States, 2018–2022 (%)
Figure 16: Share of enterprises using industrial and service robots, by sector, EU, 2022 (%)
Figure 17: Average marginal effect of robot use on working conditions
Figure 18: Place of work in teleworkable jobs, EU, 2022–2024 (%)
Figure 19: Place of work, by gender, EU, 2020–2024 (%)
Figure 20: Work from home preferences, EU, 2020–2024 (%)
Figure 22: Employment rate, by age group and sex, EU27, 2007–2022 (%)
Figure 23: NEET rates, by gender, 15–29 age group, EU27, 2007–2023 (%)
Figure 25: Young people living with their parents by age group, EU27, 2022 (%)
Figure 27: Difficulty making ends meet and housing insecurity, EU Member States and the EU, 2024 (%)
Figure 28: Trust in institutions, EU, 2020–2024 (scale 1–10)
Figure 29: Trust in institutions, by age group, EU, 2020–2024 (scale 1–10)
Figure 30: Economic hardship and trust in institutions, EU, 2023 (scale 1–10)
Figure 31: Lack of recognition and trust, EU, 2023 (scale 1–10)
Figure 32: Barriers to employment reported by Ukrainian refugees, EU, 2023 (%, weighted)
Figure 34: Proportion of respondents with cost-of-living difficulties, EU, 2022–2024 (%)
Figure 35: Inability to afford selected items or activities, by age group, EU, 2023–2024 (%)
Figure 39: Unemployed people not receiving benefits or assistance, EU Member States, 2022 (%)
Figure 40: Difficulties receiving online social benefits during the pandemic, EU, 2022 (%)
Figure 41: Voluntary and legal initiatives regulating platform work, EU Member States, 2023
Learn more about the author of this publication.
Eurofound recommends citing this publication in the following way.
Eurofound (2025), Living and working in Europe 2024, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg.
ISBN
978-92-897-2475-3
Number of pages
86
Reference no.
EF25033
ISBN
978-92-897-2475-3
Catalogue number
TJ-01-25-006-EN-N
DOI
10.2806/1894535
Permalink
https://eurofound.link/ef25033
Activity
This section provides access to content that is related to the publication.
26 June 2025
Consolidated annual activity report 2024
This report describes Eurofound's activities, particularly its research, information and communication programmes and policy achievements, in relation to the objectives set in the Programming document 2021–2024: Work programme 2024. It also covers the management and external evaluation control systems, key performance indicators, and financial and HR information. Eurofound’s key research findings and how they are embedded in the current policy context are also presented in Living and working in Europe 2024, Eurofound’s yearbook.
8 May 2025
