IWS Documented News Service

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Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach

School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies

Cornell University

16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky

New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau

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European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Dublin Foundation)

Third European Quality of Life Survey - Quality of life in Europe: Impacts of the crisis [29 November 2012]
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/publications/htmlfiles/ef1264.htm
or
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/pubdocs/2012/64/en/1/EF1264EN.pdf
[full-text, 168 pages]



Author:

Anderson, Robert; Dubois, Hans; Leoncikas, Tadas; Sándor, Eszter

Summary:

What determines life satisfaction and happiness? How do we value our social situation and immediate surroundings? How has this changed with the economic crisis? For the third wave of the European Quality of Life survey, 35,500 Europeans in all EU Member States were interviewed, in an effort to gain insights to these questions. This overview report presents findings and trends and shows that the impacts of the recession are indeed noticeable and measurable in some areas, while in others there are more long-term developments to be observed. While overall life satisfaction levels have not changed much, optimism about the future and trust in institutions have declined markedly in those countries most affected by the downturn. And groups that were already vulnerable – the long-term unemployed, older people in central and eastern Europe and single parents – report the highest levels of material deprivation and dissatisfaction with their life situation. An executive summary is also available.

 

CONTENTS

Executive summary 7

Introduction 9

Quality of life in the economic downturn 9

Eurofound's approach: Concept and measurement 10

Policy significance of monitoring and analysing quality of life 10

Methodology and implementation 12

Aim and contents of report 12

Chapter 1: Subjective well-being 16

Policy context 16

Country and socioeconomic differences 17

Drivers of life satisfaction 25

Other subjective well-being measures 28

Main changes in satisfaction levels 30

Chapter 2: Living standards and deprivation 38

Policy context 38

Ability to make ends meet 39

Household debts 40

Standards of living and material deprivation 42

Changes in standards of living 45

Income insecurity 48

Chapter 3: Employment and work–life balance 54

Policy context 54

Employment and unemployment 54

Weekly working hours 55

Unpaid work: care and housework 56

Working time arrangements 59

Work–life balance 60

Changes in work-life balance 63

Chapter 4: Family and social life 68

Policy context 68

Household size and composition in the EQLS 68

Contact with family members and friends 69

Sources of support 72

Satisfaction with family life and social life 74

Main changes 2007–2011 74

Chapter 5: Social exclusion and community involvement 80

Policy context 80

Perceived social exclusion 81

Community involvement 87
Chapter 6: Home, housing and local environment 98

Policy context 98

Local neighbourhood 98

Home and housing 104

Changes in home, housing and local environment 109

Chapter 7: Public services, health and health care 114

Policy context 114

Health and health care 115

Perceived quality of public services 119

Access to public services 122

Changes in public services, health and health care 127

Chapter 8: Quality of society 132

Policy context 132

Trust in people 132

Trust in public institutions 135

Perceived social tensions 138

Changes in trust and perception of tensions 142

Chapter 9: Concluding messages 146

Added value of the EQLS 146

Monitoring change over time 146

Consistent social inequalities 147

Convergence and divergence 148

Policy pointers 149

Future perspectives 150

References 151

Annex 1: Survey methodology 155

Annex 2: Additional resources 163

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