Living and working in Europe: Building on the past – Shaping the future

Eurofound is celebrating its 50th anniversary, marking half a century of dedicated research and contributions to improving living and working conditions in Europe. Over the past five decades, Eurofound has played a pivotal role in shaping policies and fostering social dialogue across the European Union. As we look to the future, Eurofound remains committed to addressing emerging challenges and continuing its mission to enhance the quality of life for all Europeans.

For 50 years, Eurofound has contributed to improving living and working conditions in Europe. Eurofound’s 50th anniversary is a key milestone in five decades of the agency’s work, which has closely paralleled the ongoing enlargement of the EU and development of social policy. The anniversary is an excellent opportunity to build on the past, as we look to the future.

Since its establishment in 1975, Eurofound has been at the forefront of delivering evidence-based findings and analysis of work-related, social and employment policies across the EU. Over this half century, the EU has faced significant social and employment challenges, at a pace of change which is now accelerating. Recent crises, including the financial crisis, the pandemic, the cost-of-living crisis, energy insecurity, and rising social inequalities have profoundly affected the quality of life for Europeans; they also pose a threat to political stability. Giving insight into these transformations, Eurofound’s work has played a key role in informing such EU initiatives as the European Pillar of Social Rights and has supported the work of the EU level social partners, the European Commission, key European Parliament committees, other EU institutions, academia and civil society.