Living and Working in Europe: Challenges and Opportunities for Europe’s Social Agenda

Europe’s world of work is changing fast - shaped by AI, hybrid work models, new forms of work, and a renewed focus on job quality and flexibility. How can its social agenda respond to ensure competitiveness, fairness, and inclusion? This panel debate, jointly organised by the IIEA and Eurofound, also marks 50 years of Eurofound’s research supporting policies for a stronger social Europe. Drawing on insights from the IIEA and the latest Eurofound findings, this panel discussion covers themes such as working conditions and job quality, telework, employment trends, AI in the workplace, and the rising cost of living and housing. Expert panellists also consider how the EU can foster competitiveness, inclusion, social convergence, and other pressing issues in this era of rapid change. About the Speakers: Barbara Gerstenberger is Head of the Working Life Unit at Eurofound. In this role, she coordinates the research teams investigating job quality in Europe based on the European Working Conditions Survey and has overall responsibility for the European Observatory of Working Life and research into industrial relations in the EU. She joined Eurofound in 2001 and has been a research manager in the European Monitoring Centre on Change and Head of Communication and Coordinator in the Directorate Products Information and Communication Unit. Previously, she worked as Senior Research Officer in the European Metalworkers’ Federation in Brussels. Tadas Leončikas has been Head of the Employment Unit at Eurofound since September 2022. Prior to this, he was a Senior Research Manager in the Social Policies Unit, managing the European Quality of Life Survey and developing Eurofound’s survey research. Since joining Eurofound in 2010, he has worked on various topics including survey methods, quality of life, social mobility, social inclusion, trust, and housing inadequacies. In his earlier career, he headed up the Institute for Ethnic Studies in Lithuania where he worked on studies related to the situation of ethnic minorities, migrants, and other vulnerable groups. As a researcher, he has previously collaborated with the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, the United Nations Development Programme, and the International Organisation for Migration. Massimiliano Mascherini has been Head of the Social Policies unit at Eurofound since October 2019. He joined Eurofound in 2009 as a Research Manager, designing and coordinating projects on youth employment, NEETs and their social inclusion, as well as on the labour market participation of women. In 2017, he became a Senior Research Manager in the Social Policies unit where he spearheaded new research on monitoring convergence in the EU. In addition to his work on the European Quality of Life Survey, he also leads the preparation and analysis of the COVID-19 e-surveys. Previously, he was scientific officer at the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission.