Journal of Identity and Migration Studies (Nov 2008)
Labour Mobility in Nowadays Europe and Its Role in Economic Development
Abstract
“Worker mobility is a key instrument for an efficiently functioning single market and is essential for allowing more people to find better employment, a key objective of the Lisbon Strategy”, as it is stipulated by the Communication from the Commission to the EP, the Council, the ECOSOC and CoR in Mobility, an instrument for more and better jobs: The European Job Mobility Action Plan (2007-2010). Job mobility has been significantly affected by technological change, by changes in education patterns, and by structural unemployment. The mobility of labour force in EU member states is hardly moving. ‘Creating jobs to people’* has been the focus of attention and debate within politicians, economists, experts in the field and policy- makers in the EU of 27, in order to contribute to a more even economic development at the level of regions, given the disparities between poorer regions of Europe and richer ones. Overcoming barriers, such as the cultural and language barrier, in the way of the free movement of people and especially the work force and creating an improved standard of living, diminishing income differences and regional differences in Europe does pose a real challenge for the EU of 27.
