Inequality In Europe Research Articles

Technological Change, Tasks and Class Inequality in Europe

Neo-Weberian occupational class schemas, rooted in industrial-age employment relations, are a standard socio-economic position measure in social stratification. Previous research highlighted Erikson-Goldthorpe-Portocarero (EGP)-based schemas’ difficulties in keeping up with changing labour markets, but few tested alternative explanations. This article explores how job tasks linked to technological change and rising economic inequality might confound the links between employment relations, classes, and life chances. Using the European Working Conditions Survey covering the European Union (EU)-27 countries, this article analyses over time and by gender: 1) the task distribution between social classes; and 2) whether tasks predict class membership and life chances. Decomposition analyses suggest that tasks explain class membership and wage inequality better than theorised employment relations. However, intellectual/routine tasks and digital tools driving income inequality are well-stratified by occupational classes. Therefore, this article does not argue for a class (schema) revolution but for fine-tuning the old instrument to portray market inequalities in the digital age.

Income inequality in Europe: Reality, perceptions, and hopes

Is actual income inequality accurately translated into people’s perceptions, and what are the genuine hopes of citizens? Our contribution offers insights into how the reality and two subjective dimensions of income inequality, namely perceptions, and desires, interact. Using data from the Eurobarometer, we study the main patterns of different ‘types’ of inequality (measured by S80/S20 ratio) in the regions of the EU Member States. Considering the role of attitudes and beliefs, the residents of the same region are typically found to hold a similar perception of how unequal their society is. Moreover, and somewhat surprisingly, the reality is contrary to people’s perception since low (high) actual income inequality in the region is often reflected in its overestimated (underestimated) perception. We also show that perceived, and desired inequality are distinct metrics as commonly applied determinants of perceptions are rather weakly associated with desired inequality, probably due to the normative nature of the latter. The evidence presented here implies that objective measures of income inequality should be used in conjunction with subjective ones to gain a complete picture of the phenomenon. Our findings may assist policy-makers and other interested stakeholders in designing dedicated policies to counteract inequality in all its forms.

Automation and Income Inequality in Europe

Automation and Income Inequality in Europe

Can a federal minimum wage alleviate poverty and income inequality? Ex-post and simulation evidence from Germany

Minimum wages are increasingly discussed as an instrument against (in-work) poverty and income inequality in Europe. Just recently the German government opted for a substantial ad-hoc increase of the minimum-wage level to €12 per hour mentioning poverty prevention as an explicit goal. We use the introduction of the federal minimum wage in Germany in 2015 to study its redistributive impact on disposable household incomes. Based on the German Socio-Economic Panel we analyse changes in poverty and income inequality investigating different mechanisms of the transmission from individual gross wage-rates to disposable household incomes. We find that the minimum wage is an inadequate tool for income redistribution because it does not target poor households. Individuals affected by the minimum wage are not primarily in households at the bottom of the income distribution but are spread across it. Consequently, welfare dependence decreases only marginally. The withdrawal of transfers or employment effects cannot explain the limited effect on poverty. Complementary simulations show that neither full compliance nor a markedly higher level of €12 per hour can render the minimum wage more effective in reducing poverty.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on perinatal health and perinatal health inequalities in Europe

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns may adversely affect pregnancy outcomes due to disrupted healthcare provision and increased stress, anxiety and economic hardship. We assessed changes in perinatal outcomes in 2020 using population birth data in Europe. Methods 25 Countries in the Euro-Peristat Network implemented a federated analysis using routine national data. Countries generated anonymised aggregate data files using R scripts from individual-level data formatted to a common data model with 22 variables. We compared preterm birth, stillbirth, neonatal death and caesarean delivery rates in 2020 to 2015-2019 for 2 periods: full-year (FY) and pandemic (March-September [MS]). Data from October onward were not included in the MS period because potentially declining pandemic-related fertility may affect perinatal indicators. Country-specific relative risks (RR) for the periods, adjusted for linear trends, overall and by socio-economic (SES) group, were calculated and pooled using random effects meta-analysis. Results Preterm birth rates decreased slightly (pooled RR: 0.97FY [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.95-0.99]; 0.98MS [0.96-1.00]) in 2020. Heterogeneity was high (I2FY=85%; I2MS=70%), with 5 countries experiencing significant declines. Neonatal mortality rates were unchanged (0.97FY [0.92-1.01]) while stillbirth rates were higher (1.05FY [1.01; 1.09]; 1.10MS [1.02; 1.19]). Caesarean rates were slightly raised (1.02FY [1.00-1.03]; 1.02MS [0.99-1.04], 5 countries had significant increases). Increases for stillbirth were more pronounced in the lowest (1.08FY [0.99-1.16]) versus highest SES group (1.05 FY [0.93-1.17]). Conclusions In 2020, there was an unexpected decline in preterm birth in some countries, while increases in stillbirths and caesarean occurred in others. High country-level heterogeneity suggests that some government policies to mitigate the pandemic might have been more protective of pregnant women and newborns than others.

The dark side of the geography of innovation: relatedness, complexity and regional inequality in Europe

ABSTRACT As regions evolve, their economies become more complex, and they tend to diversify into related activities. Although there is a bright side to this diversification process in terms of economic development, there may also be a dark side to it, as it possibly contributes to regional inequalities. The paper uses data on industries and patents to analyse the diversification patterns of 283 regions in 32 European countries over the past 15 years. We find that only the most economically advanced regions have the opportunity to diversify into highly complex activities. These regions tend to focus on related high-complex activities, while lagging regions focus on related low-complex activities, creating a spatial inequality feedback loop. This pattern creates a wicked problem for innovation policy: the strategy needed to improve the innovativeness of the European knowledge system might disproportionately benefit regions that are already developed and foster disparities.

Growth pole policy, spatial transformation and spatial inequalities in the metropolitan areas of Romania

The recent increase of regional inequalities in Europe, and in particular in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) has led to the reconsideration and revival of the “growth pole” concept in academic fields like regional economics, economic geography and spatial planning. In contrast to the classical view developed by French economists, the new policy-led approach on growth poles is emphasizing a much broader perspective. Designed for the reduction of regional inequalities, the rebirth of growth poles concept in the development planning practice triggered an important debate about the relation between spatial inequalities, economic growth and development. This article provides a critical overview and assessment of growth pole policy and spatial inequalities in Romania. The main objective is the analysis of the spatial change in the metropolitan areas of the seven growth poles by taking into consideration four groups of indicators: demographic, economic, housing and land use. The empirical results show a differentiated socio-spatial dynamic of the metropolitan areas, although being designated and treated as national growth poles. Moreover, there is no evidence for the adequateness of the growth pole spatial planning tool to its main objective: the reduction of spatial inequalities. In this case a crisis (increasing spatial inequalities and peripheralization) has not generated any transformative power in spatial planning, which rises serious doubts about the innovative capacities of the spatial development policies.

European regional inequalities in citizens’ digital interaction with government

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to study what factors influence European citizens in their interaction with government in the EU regions. It analyses the differences across European regions, taking account of each region’s degree of economic development and incorporating different spatially tailored approaches into the analysis.Design/methodology/approachA logistic regression analysis was used to establish whether the profiles of e-Government users differ according to the development tier they live in and other explanatory variables: socio-demographic, digital skills and type of internet connection.FindingsThis research identifies regional inequalities in EU citizens’ digital behaviour with public administration. This statistical study of European regions allows to better apprehend the profile of the EU’s e-citizens and offers conclusions to explain citizens’ behaviour, highlighting the influence of several variables.Originality/valueGiven the lack of pan-European e-government studies at a regional level, this article provides a comparative analysis for the European Union and gives insights into the behaviour of European e-citizens, highlighting the presence of digital inequalities in Europe depending on the region where citizens reside.

Housing and Income Inequality in Europe: Distributional Effects of Non‐Cash Income From Imputed Rents

This article uses survey data to estimate non‐cash income from imputed rents, using a consistent methodology for all countries to assemble comparable statistics that allow for a valid inter‐country comparison. We can confirm a significant impact of non‐cash income and find an inequality‐decreasing effect for the unconditional income distribution which highly correlates with the proportion of owner‐occupiers in the respective countries. However, aggregated inequality measures are not suited to analyze the increase in the conditional income inequality between owner‐occupiers and renters, who do not obtain income from imputed rents by definition. Therefore, we apply a reweighting decomposition that controls for the heterogeneous housing characteristics among European countries and allows us to decompose the distributional changes into a part that is explained by the proportion of tenure types and household size and a remaining part that reflects the relative dispersion of imputed rents along the income distribution.

Religion, secularity, culture? Investigating Christian privilege in Western Europe

Scholarship on religious inequality in Europe has focused mainly on the position of religious minorities, primarily Jews and Muslims. Investigations into Islamophobia, antisemitism, and other forms of discrimination and oppression, however, are merely one side of the coin. This article draws attention to Christian privilege as a different, but related phenomenon. It understands ‘privilege’ to be part of the study of hegemony, as the asymmetrical counterpart of structural oppression. The article situates Christian privilege within secular Christian hegemony in Western Europe and explores its relation to racial and religious exclusion. It identifies three different types of Christian privilege and outlines a framework for normatively evaluating them.

PIONEERED: Elaborating the link between social and educational policies for tackling educational inequalities in Europe

Although a number of policies tackling educational inequalities have been introduced in recent decades in Europe, educational inequalities exist to a varying extent both in different sub- and supranational contexts. In this article, we address the link between social and educational policies with respect to educational inequalities. Educational policies aim to guarantee opportunities throughout educational trajectories and beyond. They pertain to all areas and the entire duration of the human life. Our contribution to socialpolicy.ch introduces the ongoing Horizon 2020 project PIONEERED on educational inequalities by elaborating on the social problems behind those disparities, and by outlining the project’s conceptual and methodological approaches that join together multilevel, intersectional and life-course perspectives.

Learning losses and educational inequalities in Europe: Mapping the potential consequences of the COVID-19 crisis.

It is widely discussed that the pandemic has impacted educational inequalities across the world. However, in contrast to data on health or unemployment, data on education outcomes are not timely. Hence, we have extremely limited knowledge about pandemic-related learning losses at the national and cross-national levels. As it might take years to get suitable comparative data, this study uses the latest large-scale international achievement survey from before the pandemic, the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study 2019, to answer two research questions. First, which European countries are most likely to have experienced higher learning loss among their children? Second, which European countries have most likely experienced the greatest increases in learning inequalities? Results based on 4th graders’ school achievements indicate that educational inequalities between and within countries are likely to have augmented substantially throughout Europe. Some European countries are probably already facing an education crisis.

First the Children, then the Employed: Deprivation and Intra-household Inequality in Europe

ABSTRACT Using data from 22 European countries this paper examines intra-household inequality between children and adults. Households allocate resources according to dynamic rules that consider age, gender, kinship and labor market participation. Parents and the unemployed are the most likely to experience deprivation. Extended co-residency is a helpful but limited strategy to reduce child poverty: extended households are more likely to protect children, but also to be poorer. The prioritization of children is nearly universal, with no evidence of an association between income or education and the prioritization of children. Individual deprivation data provide valuable information on intra-household inequality.

Inequalities for Women in Science, Technology and Innovation

There is still a tangible inequality between men and women in many areas of daily life around the world, including professional fields and educational careers. The objective of this study was to analyze the different inequalities in Europe and third countries in America, Asia and Africa regarding the involvement of women and men in education and employment. This study focused on the areas related to Science, Technology and Innovation (STI), three of the most relevant and important areas for the future development of society. The study presented in this paper started with the initial question: "Are there inequalities between women and men in the fields of Science, Technology and Innovation?" This question was followed by an in-depth examination of datasets and studies on women and men who are learning, working, or hold leadership positions in the STI fields. Data and numbers were collected on the workforce, students in higher education, and professional fields. These served to determine and verify the state of the art for women in the fields of STI. Based on the results, presented in the paper, statements can be made regarding inequalities for women in the field of STI. Several efforts are being made in order to promote gender equality in STI. In fact, this has become a strategic issue in Europe, since the Council of the European Union, in its conclusions, invited the Commission and the Member States to consider including the gender perspective within the policy dialogues in bilateral and multilateral agreements with third countries in the STI area. Moreover, several initiatives have been implemented in recent years as part of the strategy for the European Research Area to promote gender equality in research and innovation. One of these initiatives is the Gender STI project, a European research-funded project that aims to integrate gender perspectives in STI into dialogues between Europe and third countries. As part of the initial activities of the project, this study aims to build a deep understanding on the current status of gender equality in STI in these regions and how the gender perspective is currently addressed in policy dialogues.

Determinants of Income Inequality in Europe

본 연구는 유럽지역의 1980년부터 2019년의 40년 동안 경제성장과 분배의 변화가 소득계층별 평균소득에 미치는 영향에 대한 실증적 연구이다. 주요 분석결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 경제성장은 소득계층별 평균소득에 양(+)의 영향을 주는 것으로 나타났으며, 분배의 악화는 소득계층별 평균소득에 음(-)의 영향을 주는 것으로 나타났다. 이는 경제성장을 통한 계층별 소득의 증가가 발생할 수 있으며 분배의 악화를 통한 계층별 소득의 감소를 경험할 수 있음을 의미한다. 둘째, 평균적인 의미에서의 영향이 아닌 소득계층별로 차별적인 영향의 존재 여부를 검정하기 위해 소득분위별로 구분하여 추정한 결과는 경제성장에 의한 영향은 소득계층별 차이가 뚜렷하지 않거나 크지 않았지만, 분배의 변화에 대한 영향은 소득분위별로 차이가 크게 나타났다. 대부분의 저소득층에서는 불평등의 증가로 인해 소득의 감소를 경험했으며, 최상위 계층에서는 오히려 불평등의 증가가 소득의 증가를 가져오는 것으로 분석되었다. 이는 저소득층의 경우 성장과 분배는 상호 대체재(substitutes)적인 성격으로서 분배의 악화가 발생하는 경우 저소득층의 평균소득의 유지를 위해서 충분한 경제성장이 이루어져야 하는 trade-off 관계에 있음을 의미한다.

Industrial transformations and regional inequalities in Europe.

An important channel through which less developed European countries have grown over the past twenty years is through the industrial transformation of their economies from low to higher value-added activities. The aim of the paper is to address the role of industrial transformation on regional imbalances, by analysing the different components of industrial productivity dynamics, namely the industrial composition, competition and reallocation effects. Based on both a shift-share analysis and a simulation analysis, the paper shows that the reallocation towards higher value-added sectors in Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries could in fact lead to higher regional inequalities. Our empirical results lead us to claim that short-term normative interventions should go in the direction of supporting “modern and technologically advanced traditional sectors” rather than necessarily pushing CEE countries towards a high value-added industry specialization.

КАРТОГРАФИЧЕСКОЕ ИЗОБРАЖЕНИЕ ЦИФРОВОГО НЕРАВЕНСТВА В МИРОВОМ МАССИВЕ ЖУРНАЛЬНЫХ СТАТЕЙ

In world science, there is no generalization of geographical studies of digital inequality and visualization of inequality using socio-economic maps. Therefore, the purpose of our study is such a generalization to identify the features of the use of cartographic methods in the image of digital inequality. The object of the study is a worldwide array of journal articles devoted to digital inequality. In eight bibliographic databases, using the author's semantic search algorithm, about ninety journal articles containing more than two hundred and sixty schematic maps of digital inequality have been identified. The change in the annual number of articles with a cartographic image of digital inequality published in geographical and other scientific journals around the world in the XXI century is shown. The analysis of the identified cartographies on three levels (“access”, “use”, “results”) and two combinations of levels of digital inequality, as well as synthetic indices and clusters of inequality, has been carried out. It has been found that most of the cartograms displayed digital inequality in Europe, consisted of administrative-territorial and postal divisions of the state, and the main image methods were a cartogram and a qualitative background. The examples of cartographic representation of digital inequality are given. The possibilities and limitations of cartographic methods are shown. The disadvantage of the analyzed cartographic schemes is the weak application or refusal to use other methods of cartographic imaging in cases where cartograms, qualitative backgrounds and areas are not enough to visualize the features of digital inequality. The key problems of cartographic visualization of digital inequality are identified – the “digital gap” between neighboring territories, the functional structure of inequality, the dynamics of indicators, the territorial structure of inequality, the lack of connection between levels of inequality, the display of positive and negative offline results on one cartographic chart. The necessity of cartographic representation of the future digital inequality in the transition to 5G and 6G communication networks is noted. To solve all the problems, it is proposed to use a wider set of methods of cartographic image. The results obtained can be taken into account when drawing up new schematic maps. Seven directions of further research are proposed

Trade and Inequality in Europe and the Us

Trade and Inequality in Europe and the Us

The Welfare States and Happiness Inequalities in Europe

Income distribution is a widely used measure of inequality, but in the assessment of welfare it is deemed to be insufficient. When measuring inequality in the distribution of welfare, subjective evaluations such as happiness and life satisfaction should also be taken into account. The purpose of this study was to analyze happiness inequalities in different welfare states in Europe. Overall happiness inequality, as well as happiness inequalities between different socioeconomic groups in these countries , were explored. Furthermore, this study analyzed how these inequalities changed over time. The European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS) data set was used for the analysis. Independent sample t-test and one way ANOVA were also used. All analyses were done using the IBM SPSS 22 program. It was found that social democratic welfare states which consistently rank at the top of happiness rankings had the lowest overall happiness inequalities. Happiness inequalities among different sociodemographic population groups were also low in these countries. On the contrary, post-socialist welfare states had the highest happiness inequalities. Compared to employed people the unemployed were significantly unhappy in corporatist countries. Post-socialist and southern European welfare states stood out as having high happiness inequalities between those with good and poor health and between the young and elderly.

Mind the gap: The role of family policies and the gender-egalitarian climate in shaping gender and ethnic labour market inequalities in Europe

AbstractThis study is related to a growing literature on the impact of a receiving context on immigrant labour market outcomes. Unlike previous comparative research, which has been primarily concerned with immigrant men, our focus is on immigrant women and the role of institutions particularly relevant to them. Using the European Union Labour Force Surveys (2011–5) augmented with country-level data, we estimate country fixed-effects models to study gender and ethnic inequalities in labour force participation across European countries. Our results underline the complexity of how family policies and gender-egalitarian contexts are related to gender and ethnic inequalities in the labour market. On the one hand, we find gender inequalities to be less pronounced in countries with more generous family policies and a higher gender-egalitarian climate. On the other hand, our results indicate that at the same time, the selected institutional characteristics are related to increased ethnic inequalities in the labour market.