Europe’s economy needs one million foreign workers each year, said Ylva Johansson, the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, in January. This is due to the demographic change in Europe, which is resulting in a decline in the working age population. So-called EU Talent Partnerships are presented as a solution to this challenge. Announced in June 2021, the aim is to attract non-EU citizens into the European workforce and fill gaps in the labour market. The Commission considers Talent Partnerships a “triple win” – beneficial for the EU’s economy, the non-EU partner countries that often face high unemployment rates and for the workers themselves.

Staff shortages in the healthcare sectors across Europe could dramatically increase if states do not invest in the health workforce.

As morning dawned over Munich, German customs authorities embarked on a covert mission to investigate suspected illegal migrant labour at a local hotel. Asked what their purpose is, they answer they are aiming to uncover companies that exploit undocumented migrants as employees.

Underpaid, overworked and invisible — experts say that fishers in the EU are being abandoned in an industry with a lack of oversight. The EU fishing industry increasingly relies on migrant labour due to an ageing workforce and declining work conditions, making it less attractive for EU nationals. But the recent deal on the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) could provide a way to improve the conditions for fishers working in the industry in Europe. 

Algorithms dictate gig workers’ lives: their schedules, income and even their privacy — prompting the EU to regulate these automated management processes for the first time.  However, the impact of new rules on the daily routine of gig workers remains to be seen.

The recently adopted EU directive to improve the working conditions of platform workers was significantly weakened because of the intimate relationship between Estonia and Bolt, one of Europe’s leading ride-hailing companies.An investigation by EUobserver into several documents, a series of emails and phone call records reveals the influence of Estonia-headquartered Bolt in many key sections of the Platform Work Directive.

The EU Commission aims to implement a just transition that "leaves no one behind." However, local entities such as trade unions and municipalities express concern over inadequate consultation, thereby threatening workers' futures.

The European Union's Just Transition Fund (JTF), which allocates €17.5 billion for carbon-intensive regions to implement a fair and sustainable ecological transition by 2027, faces issues of delayed disbursement and accessibility for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). This creates uncertainties about the future of workers and companies in these regions.

The Swedish government has started to falter concerning the climate goals and it is the Sweden Democrats that are pushing for that in the background. Sweden is about to embarrass itself", says Roger Hildingsson, a Swedish political scientist. Since 2020, the Sweden Democrats have voted the most against environmental regulations regarding or involving the Green Deal. Out of the 222 times the Sweden Democrats voted, 69.4 percent of the votes were against these green legislation.