Healthcare Management

The social situation in the European Union

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The social situation is largely formed in the cross-field between longer-term developments in population structures and short to medium term changes in the economy.
After five years of strong economic growth, which created 12 million jobs and raised the employment rate by four percentage points to 64.0% of the working age population, the outlook has now become less optimistic. In 2001 the rate of economic growth dropped to 1.5%, or less than half the level it achieved in 2000 and in 2002 recovery has been rather slow. Yet employment continued to grow, albeit slowly.
Meanwhile, the medium term economic and social challenges to society from the ongoing ageing of the European population are becoming clearer. Soon the century long growth in the size of Europe's working age population will come to a halt. And in less than a decade the impact of the retirement of the baby boomers will begin to be fully felt.
The structural improvements achieved since 1996 and the successful launch of the single currency have resulted in a better economic performance in monetary and financial terms and increased flexibility in the labour market. Beyond the obvious contributions to improvements in living conditions, policy opportunities were enhanced in a number of areas. New possibilities emerged for tackling structural problems in employment, such as youth unemployment and the low activity rates of women and older workers. Higher employment has also eased the pressure on social protection systems and created increased scope for manoeuvre in pension reform. Inequality did not rise during prosperity and rising employment rates and economic growth have produced new possibilities for addressing persistent problems of poverty and social exclusion.

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Publisher

: ., 2000

Collation

1-212

Language

English

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NONE

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Subject(s)

The social situation in the European Union

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