Living and working in Europe

Eurofound’s research captures the many dimensions of living and working in Europe. The annual yearbook provides a snapshot of the work and lives of Europeans as explored in the Agency’s research activities over the course of the previous year. This serves to inform the policy debate at EU and national levels. As the EU Agency whose vision is ‘to be Europe’s leading knowledge source for better life and work’, research in 2025 addressed some of the most pressing issues affecting people in their lives and work, through the lense of three connected themes: work (job quality, wages, ageing and sectoral restructuring), quality of life (housing, mental health and institutional trust) and inequality (the gender pay gap and the distribution of wealth). It continues to report on the broader structural challenges affecting the EU.

Playful grandfather spending time with his grandson in park on sunny day

Latest

Find the latest content on this topic below.

Digital story

7 May 2026

Living and working in Europe 2025 - digital version

Ciara Burbridge

In 2025, cost-of-living pressures, housing insecurity and fragile mental well-being continued to shape the experience of living and working in Europe for millions of Europeans. Focusing on work, quality of life and inequality, this digital yearbook captures Eurofound's work over 2025.

Annual report

7 May 2026

Living and working in Europe 2025

Ciara Burbridge

In 2025, cost-of-living pressures, housing insecurity and fragile mental well-being continued to shape the lived experience of millions of Europeans. This yearbook draws on the latest round of Eurofound’s Living and Working in the EU e-survey, the 2024 European Working Conditions Survey and a rich body of research published over the past year.

Digital story

19 January 2026

Uneven picture of a changing Europe: Findings from Living and Working in the EU e-survey 2025 - Digital story

Eszter Sándor,

Hannah Kollen

This digital story from Eurofound’s 2025 e-survey reveals persistent economic strain, uneven levels of resilience, fragile trust in institutions, ongoing work–life balance challenges and growing concern over environmental issues among Europeans.

About Living and working in Europe

Learn more about this topic and its relevance for EU policy making.

Highlights for Living and working in Europe

This is a selection of the most important outputs for this topic.

7 May 2026

Annual report

Living and working in Europe 2025

7 May 2026

Digital story

Living and working in Europe 2025 - digital version

19 January 2026

Podcast episode

Making the EU accountable to its citizens

In an era where public trust is paramount, the latest episode of the Eurofound Talks looks at the mechanisms that keep the European Union transparent and fiscally responsible. Host Mary McCaughey sits down with Tony Murphy, President of the European Court of Auditors, to discuss the critical role of financial oversight in safeguarding the European project. They also discuss the importance of Ireland’s upcoming Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

19 January 2026

Other

Uneven picture of a changing Europe: Findings from Living and Working in the EU e-survey 2025

Findings from the 2025 (eighth) round of Eurofound’s Living and working in the EU e-survey suggest persistent economic strain and uneven levels of resilience across Member States. Despite lower inflation and labour markets that remain relatively stable by headline indicators, respondents continue to face significant financial pressure, with widening gaps between income groups, rising insecurity among renters and middle-aged people, and continued housing insecurity, especially among low-income and single-parent households.

19 January 2026

Digital story

Uneven picture of a changing Europe: Findings from Living and Working in the EU e-survey 2025 - Digital story

14 January 2025

In-person event

Eurofound’s Annual Lecture 2025: Living and working in Europe - Rethinking progress for a sustainable and equitable future

30 January 2025

Podcast episode

50 years of social change in Ireland and Europe

In this episode of the Eurofound Talks podcast Mary McCaughey speaks with Eurofound Deputy Director Maria Jepsen, and Barry Colfer, Director of Research at the Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA), about European social change over the past 50 years, Eurofound’s role in these changes, how Ireland itself has developed and changed, and the challenges currently on the horizon.

All content for Living and working in Europe

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