Whereas the European project has long been described as a ‘convergence machine’, the recent economic crisis has halted convergence in certain dimensions, and triggered divergence in others. This concerns the areas of employment, income and social protection, but also broader outcomes such as working and living conditions. 

The aim of the seminar will be to present and discuss the latest empirical research on social convergence in Europe. More specifically, we are looking for presentations exploring:

• Patterns of convergence/divergence in terms of labour market participation, income, living conditions, etc.
• Patterns of convergence/divergence between Member States, regions, local authorities, firms as well as between urban and rural areas
• The drivers of convergence/divergence and links between different dimensions (economic growth, productivity, labour markets, social outcomes)
• The role of governments, firms, social partners and other actors in promoting convergence.

We welcome presentations based on large EU-wide datasets including, but not limited to, the EU Labour Force Survey, the EU Statistics on Income and Living Conditions.

To submit an abstract

For more information about this seminar and to submit an abstract, please go to : http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?langId=en&catId=1049&newsId=9194&furtherNews=yes