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The objective of the paper is to understand the various determinants of social innovation incidence at the macroeconomic level across countries in Europe. Using a multivariate regression framework, the paper analyses the role of various characteristics from the ecosystem in which social innovations occur. In particular, the paper quantifies the relative importance of several factors, such as educational attainment, ease of doing business index, corruption index, risk preferences, cultural and social norms, to name a few. Methodologically, the paper takes into account the evolution of macroeconomic circumstances, such as the economic crisis of 2008 or general time trend, by collecting a panel data of various indicators from different data sources across countries and over time. As part of robustness checks, the paper uses three different measures of social innovation and includes country fixed effects to account for heterogeneities across countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distributional implications of capital account regulation is eminently context-specific. This paper examines the distributional effects of the openness of foreign direct investment (FDI) flows across 27 European countries in different economic environments around the Great Recession, covering the period 2007–2013. Our multi-level approach allows us to combine country-level variables and sociodemographic characteristics of individuals. The results highlight that the openness of FDI flows heterogeneously affects the income share of individual groups, favouring in particular the highest income classes. This finding seems to be driven by the educational level. We argue that even though highly educated individuals are present along the entire distribution, the highest income classes are especially favoured by the openness of FDI flows. This biased distributional effect of the openness of FDI flows persists throughout the years examined, regardless of the economic environment; this is due, in part, to the fact that the distribution of highly educated people is not sensitive to the business cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The debate on territorial cohesion and spatial inequality recognises the role and influence different scales have on individuals' opportunities with extended effects especially for young people's life chances. In particular, a regional perspective into territorial disparities of socio-economic conditions and welfare in Europe provides a more fine-grained view on the existence of territorially diverging income and labour market conditions for youth that a national level analysis is not able to grasp. This paper focus on regional differences in school to work outcomes of young people using macro-panel data covering the period from 2005 until 2016. We use a plurality of indicators to study to what extent school to work transitions are better studied at regional level and to characterise those transitions in a more comprehensive way. Our findings demonstrate that there are huge differences both in the level and in the dispersion of young people's school to work outcomes across European territories. This tells us that the allegedly assumed national homogeneity of transition systems can definitely not be taken for granted. Moreover, we show that the Great Recession had strong but differentiated impacts at regional level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an analysis of factors influencing job satisfaction in post-transition economies on the example of the Czech Republic. Our research shows that women reported higher levels of job satisfaction compared to men. Education proved to be statistically significant in one of three indicators of job satisfaction. Personal income and workplace relationships proved to be positively and significantly related to all the three indicators of job satisfaction. Most of the occupational dummies were significantly related to two out of three indicators of job satisfaction. In addition, we found that Czech entrepreneurs enjoy and value their job, which indicates strong self-selection for doing business in post-transition economies. However, human capital expressed by the level of education was significant factor for job satisfaction, meaning that well- educated people might not be satisfied with their jobs or feel that their education and experience are wasted in the market economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent research into educational inequalities has shown the importance of decomposing social origins into parental class, status and education, representing economic, socio-cultural and educational family resources, respectively. But we know little about how inequalities in educational attainment at the micro-level map onto institutional characteristics of educational systems at the macro-level, if we treat social origins in a multidimensional way. Drawing on the rich over-time variation in educational systems in four European countries – Britain, Sweden, Germany and Italy – this paper develops and tests a number of hypotheses regarding the effects of various components of social origins on individuals’ educational attainment in different institutional contexts. It is evident from our results that a great deal of similarity exists across nations with different educational systems in the persisting importance for individuals’ educational attainment of parental class, status and education. But our findings also indicate that changes in the institutional features of educational systems have, in some instances although not in others, served to reinforce or to offset the social processes generating educational inequalities at the micro level. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Adult learning is seen as a key factor for enhancing employment, innovation and growth. The aim of this paper is to understand the points in the life cycle at which adult learning takes place and whether it leads to reaching a medium or high level of educational attainment. We perform a synthetic panel analysis of adult learning for cohorts aged 25–64 in 27 European countries using the European Union Labour Force Survey. We find that investment across the life cycle by cohorts older than 25 still occurs: participation in education and training as well as educational attainment increase observably across all cohorts. We also find that the decline with age slows down, or is even reversed for older cohorts, for both participation in education and educational attainment. Finally, we can identify cross-country differences in approach. In Nordic countries, adult learning is achieved primarily through participation in education and training without adding to formal educational attainment. In central Europe, adult learning occurs primarily in the form of increasing educational attainment. In Ireland and the UK, a combination of both approaches to adult learning is observable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rodríguez-Pose A. and Tselios V. Individual earnings and educational externalities in the European Union, Regional Studies. This paper examines whether differences in educational externalities affect individual earnings across regions in the European Union. Using microeconomic data from the European Community Household Panel, it resorts to spatial economic analysis in order to determine to what extent differences in individual earnings are the result of (1) the educational attainment of the individual, (2) the educational attainment of the other members of the household in which he/she lives, (3) the educational endowment of the region where the individual lives, or (4) the educational endowment of the neighbouring regions. The results highlight that, in addition to the expected positive returns of personal educational attainment, place-based regional and supra-regional educational externalities generate significant pecuniary benefits for workers. These findings are robust to the inclusion of different individual, household, and regional control variables. Rodríguez-Pose A. et Tselios V. Les gains individuels et les effets externes de l'éducation dans l'Union européenne, Regional Studies. Cet article cherche à examiner si, oui ou non, les différents effets externes de l'éducation influent sur les gains individuels à travers les régions de l'Union européenne. Employant des données microéconomiques provenant du European Community Household Panel (échantillon permanent des foyers de l'Union européenne), on a recours à une analyse économique spatiale afin de déterminer jusqu'à quel point les écarts des revenus individuels s'expliquent par (1) la réussite scolaire de l'individu, (2) par la réussite scolaire des autres membres du foyer, (3) par la dotation en équipement scolaire de la région où habite l'individu, ou bien (4) par la dotation en équipement scolaire des régions voisines. En plus des rendements positifs prévus de la réussite scolaire de l'individu, les résultats soulignent les avantages pécuniaires non-négligeables pour les travailleurs des effets externes régionaux et suprarégionaux de l'éducation qui sont basés sur l'endroit. Ces résultats s'avèrent robustes quand on inclut des variables de contrôle différentes pour l'individu, le foyer et la région. Gains individuels?Réussite scolaire?Effets externes?Foyers?Régions?Europe Rodríguez-Pose A. und Tselios V. Individuelles Einkommen und Bildungsexternalitäten in der Europäischen Union, Regional Studies. In diesem Beitrag wird untersucht, ob sich die Unterschiede bei den Bildungsexternalitäten auf das individuelle Einkommen in verschiedenen Regionen der Europäischen Union auswirken. Ausgehend von mikroökonomischen Daten des Haushaltspanels der Europäischen Gemeinschaft wird eine räumliche Wirtschaftsanalyse durchgeführt, um festzustellen, in welchem Umfang die Unterschiede bei den individuellen Einkommen auf (1) den Bildungsgrad der Person, (2) den Bildungsgrad der anderen Mitglieder des Haushalts dieser Person, (3) den Bildungsstand der Region, in der die Person lebt, oder (4) den Bildungsstand der angrenzenden Regionen zurückzuführen sind. Aus den Ergebnissen geht hervor, dass zusätzlich zu den erwarteten positiven Ergebnissen des persönlichen Bildungsgrades auch die ortsgebundenen regionalen und supraregionalen Bildungsexternalitäten für die Arbeitnehmer mit signifikanten finanziellen Vorteilen verbunden sind. Diese Ergebnisse bleiben auch bei Berücksichtigung verschiedener individueller, Haushalts- und regionaler Kontrollvariablen robust. Individuelles Einkommen?Bildungsgrad?Externalitäten?Haushalte?Regionen?Europa Rodríguez-Pose A. y Tselios V. Ingresos individuales y externalidades educativas en la Unión Europea, Regional Studies. En este artículo se examina si las diferencias de las externalidades educativas entre las regiones de la UE influyen sobre los ingresos económicos de los individuos. Mediante un análisis económico de carácter espacial y utilizando datos microeconómicos provenientes de la Encuesta Europea de Familias se intenta determinar si las diferencias de los ingresos entre individuos en distintas regiones de la UE son el resultado de (1) el nivel educativo de cada individuo, (2) el nivel educativo de los demás miembros de la unidad familiar, (3) el nivel educativo de la región en la que se vive o (4) el nivel educativo de las áreas vecinas. Los resultados demuestran que, además de los rendimientos positivos ligados al nivel personal de formación, las externalidades geográficas de carácter regional y supra-regional generan importantes beneficios pecuniarios para los trabajadores. Estos resultados son sólidos para la inclusión de distintas variables de control de tipo individual, familiar y regional. Ingresos individuales?Nivel de formación?Externalidades?Unidades familiares?Regiones?Europa [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We propose to use multilevel discrete-time hazard models to assess the impact of societal and individual level covariates on the timing and occurrence of third births. We focus mainly on the impact of educational attainment on third births across 15 European countries. From the analysis in this paper, the effect of education on the propensity to have a third child is found to be negative. This education effect is not significantly weakened by the Nordic countries, but living in Scandinavia does increase the hazard for a third birth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Even low to moderate levels of alcohol consumption can have detrimental health consequences, especially in older adults (OA). Although many studies report an increase in the proportion of drinkers among OA, there are regional variations. Therefore, we examined alcohol consumption and the prevalence of hazardous alcohol use (HAU) among men and women aged 50+ years in four European regions and investigated predictors of HAU. Methods: We analyzed data of N = 35,042 participants of the European SHARE study. We investigated differences in alcohol consumption (units last week) according to gender, age and EU-region using ANOVAs. Furthermore, logistic regression models were used to examine the effect of income, education, marital status, history of a low-quality parent–child relationship and smoking on HAU, also stratified for gender and EU-region. HAU was operationalized as binge drinking or risky drinking (<12.5 units of 10 ml alcohol/week). Results: Overall, past week alcohol consumption was 5.0 units (±7.8), prevalence of HAU was 25.4% within our sample of European adults aged 50+ years. Male gender, younger age and living in Western Europe were linked to both higher alcohol consumption and higher risks of HAU. Income, education, smoking, a low-quality parent–child relationship, living in Northern and especially Eastern Europe were positively associated with HAU. Stratified analyses revealed differences by region and gender. Conclusions: HAU was highly prevalent within this European sample of OA. Alcohol consumption and determinants of HAU differed between EU-regions, hinting to a necessity of risk-stratified population-level strategies to prevent HAU and subsequent alcohol use disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Older adults tend to have multiple comorbidities and specific needs that require timely assistance. The information on percentage and characteristics of older adults that self-refer to physiotherapy is scarce, thus our objective is to characterise them in terms of socio-demographic aspects and health conditions across 15 European Countries. Individuals aged 65 years and over from the first wave of the European Health Interview Survey across 15 European Countries was used. The information retrieved for analysis was: sex, age, country, education' levels, income, self-perception of health, health conditions, and visits on their own behalf to a physiotherapist. The sample comprised 39,922 older adults, aged 75.6 (7.8) years old, and of which 60.5% were women. The percentage of self-referral to physiotherapy varied between 3.3 and 29.9% across countries. Older adults reporting osteoarthritis, neck pain, low back pain or stroke were associated with higher rates of self-referral. Our study shows that a small percentage of older adults self-refer to physiotherapy and confirmed higher income and higher education' levels are associated with direct access/self-referral to physiotherapy, suggesting the need to improve public health systems, health insurance and campaigns promoting physiotherapy targeting older adults and their careers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Previous studies of older European populations have established that disability and morbidity vary with indicators of socio-economic position (SEP). We undertook a systematic narrative review of the literature to ascertain to what extent there is evidence of similar inequalities in the subjective health and well-being of older people in Europe. Method: Relevant original research articles were searched for using Medline, Global Health, Embase, Social Policy and Practice, Cinahl, Web of Science and International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (IBSS). We included studies of SEP and indicators of subjective health and well-being (self-rated health; life satisfaction; quality of life) conducted since 1991 using population-based samples of older people in Europe and published 1995–2013. Results: A total of 71 studies were identified. Poorer SEP was associated with poorer subjective health and well-being. Associations varied somewhat depending on the SEP measure and subjective health and well-being outcome used. Associations were weaker when social support and health-related behaviours were adjusted for suggesting that these factors mediate the relationship between SEP and subjective health and well-being. Associations tended to be weaker in the oldest age groups. The patterns of associations by gender were not consistent and tended to diminish after adjusting for indicators of health and life circumstances. Conclusion: The results of this systematic narrative review of the literature demonstrate the importance of social influences on later life subjective health and well-being and indicate areas which need further investigation, such as more studies from Eastern Europe, more longitudinal studies and more research on the role of mediating factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates how children of immigrants from Turkey are integrated into Swedish society. The educational achievements and labour market outcomes of this group are compared with the performance of the offspring of native-born parents. The aim of the study is to explore whether we can observe a tendency towards ‘downward mobility’ among young people of immigrant background in Sweden and thereby provide reflections on the existing formulation of the ‘segmented assimilation’ theory. Findings show that descendants of immigrants seemnotto be in the process of downward assimilation, that is, social exclusion and therefore formation of a distinct ‘underclass’ in Sweden. The concept of ‘subordinate inclusion’ is a more appropriate description of the experiences of children of immigrants. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Though work and paid employment are generally beneficial, and unemployment is frequently harmful, precarious employment relations are also health damaging. This study compared the health status of workers in highly precarious employment with unemployed individuals in 35 European countries. We used data from the 6th European Working Conditions Survey (2015) (n = 33,938). The prevalence of precariousness was 58.99%. We fitted a multi-level generalized linear model (GLMM) to calculate the adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) of health-related outcomes according to quartiles of precariousness and unemployment. We calculated the aPR of health-related outcomes in the highly precariously employed (quartile 4 of precariousness), with reference to unemployed individuals. We found significant associations of higher prevalence of bad health status, headache, skin and hearing problems, anxiety, fatigue, backache, upper and lower muscular pain and injuries among quartiles 3 and 4 of precariousness compared with those with no precarious employment. The confidence intervals of the aPR for most of health-related outcomes overlapped between the highest quartiles of precariousness and recent unemployment, indicating no significant differences among these groups. We conclude that unemployment and higher degrees of precariousness can be similarly health damaging. Therefore, we propose that employment conditions should be better monitored. This is an essential first step in order to document, and identify interventions to prevent, the health-damaging consequences of growing levels of precarious employment. This will be essential for achieving the 8th sustainable development goal of decent work and economic growth by 2030. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study uses quarterly EU Labour Force Survey data for 30 countries over the period 2000 to 2016 to examine the relationship between changes in the composition of educational attainment and overeducation rates among new labour market entrants holding post-secondary and tertiary qualifications. We find that tertiary education expanded rapidly across our sample, while the proportion of young people with lower levels of education fell gradually throughout the period. Despite the significant increases in the percentage of young people educated to tertiary level, overeducation among new tertiary graduates fell. The descriptive evidence also suggests that some of the greatest declines in overeducation of young tertiary graduates occurred in the countries experiencing the most significant expansion in tertiary education. Overeducation rates among young graduates with upper-secondary and postsecondary (non-tertiary) education were lower in magnitude than overeducation of tertiary graduates and declined slightly over the period. Our GMM results confirm the negative relationship between educational expansion and overeducation for both tertiary and post-secondary graduates, and reveal a number of other factors potentially explaining cross-country variation in youth overeducation rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To identify correlates of self-rated and proxy-rated quality of life (QoL) in people with dementia on (i) a dementia-specific and (ii) a capability-wellbeing QoL measure at baseline and 12-month follow-up, and to consider such factors in the context of QoL intervention development. Method: Prospective clinical and demographic data were collected from 451 community-dwelling dyads (mild-moderate dementia) across eight European countries. QoL was measured using the QOL-AD and the ICECAP-O. Multivariate modelling identified correlates of self- and proxy-rated QoL at baseline and at 12-month follow-up. Results: Carer's proxy-ratings of QoL were significantly lower than self-ratings at all time-points for both measures. Proxy-ratings declined over time, but self-ratings remained stable. Baseline predictors of greater self-rated QoL were education, and greater functional ability and relationship quality. Greater proxy-rated QoL was associated with education and greater functional ability, relationship quality, carer social support and carer QoL, lower carer anxiety/depression and less severe neuropsychiatric symptoms in people with dementia. At follow-up, greater self-rated QoL was predicted by greater functional ability, relationship quality, carer social support and having a spousal carer. Greater proxy-rated QoL at follow-up was associated with the same factors as at baseline; however, the dyad living together was an additional predictive factor. Conclusion: Both proxy-ratings and self-ratings of QoL should be interpreted with caution and in the context of each individual caregiving relationship. Different functional, psychosocial, relational and contextual factors influence self- and proxy-ratings, and both sets of factors should be considered in the context of QoL intervention development for the dyad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the refugee immigration crisis is one of the major socio-economic challenges in Europe, we still lack knowledge on what characterizes firms that provide jobs for unemployed immigrants. We provide an answer by investigating firms that recruit unemployed non-Western immigrants using matched employer-employee data from Statistics Sweden. We find large industry differences; firms active in the service sectors, such as the hospitality, transport, and healthcare industries, are much more likely to hire unemployed non-Western immigrants than firms in high-tech and manufacturing industries. In addition, after controlling for educational attainment and industry of occupation, firms with at least one non-Western immigrant manager hire more than four times as many unemployed non-Western immigrants than firms without any non-Western immigrant managers. Public policies that target industries might thus also influence job opportunities for immigrants and, thereby, the possibility of their integration into society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article assesses trends over time in the influence of social origins on educational attainment in 26 European countries. We use a cumulative dataset that merges the European Social Survey (waves 2002–2010), the International Social Survey Programme (1999, 2009) and the European Value Study (2008). Our contribution to the literature is threefold. First, we replicate as closely as possible the previous study by Breen et al. [(2009) ‘Nonpersistent in educational attainment: Evidence from eight European countries’,American Journal of Sociology114: 1475–1521] and extend it to a larger set of countries and to more recent cohorts. Second, we reassess the argument that equalization does not involve Higher Education. Third, we consider whether our conclusions change if we use a more comprehensive measurement of social origins that jointly incorporates indicators of social class, social status and parental education. We detect a generalized reduction of educational inequalities in the post-war decades. When we focus on Higher Education, we still detect evidence of equalization, although to a lower extent. Our analyses do not support the claim that, when using a more comprehensive treatment of social origins, the patterns for different indicators evolve in opposite directions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Migrants into European countries are often less educated than European natives. We analyse whether migrants' children are more or less likely than natives' children to achieve upward educational mobility across generations, and study differences in the factors, which contribute to differences in mobility for the two groups. We find that migrants' descendants are more often upwardly mobile (and less often downwardly mobile) than their native peers in the majority of countries studied, and show that the main factor contributing to these patterns is the education level of parents. Although a lower parental education means that their children are less likely to access the same amount of human, social and financial capital as children of more highly educated parents, migrants' descendants over the last two generations were able to make significant progress in reducing education gaps with natives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For decades, reforms aiming at educational expansion attempted to boost economic growth and to reduce inequalities. This study sheds light on the link between institutional settings of the education system and educational inequalities in the course of educational expansion along two axes of inequality: social origin and gender. Looking at the educational attainment of cohorts born between 1925 and 1982 in the European Social Survey data, changing patterns of inequalities are analysed regarding four distinct education systems - England (UK), Finland, Luxembourg, and (Germanspeaking) Switzerland. Employing a comparative perspective, characteristics of the educational system that influence the societal change of educational levels and educational inequalities are considered. Our results show that although the patterns of educational inequalities were comparable in all four countries, Finland seems to have been the most successful in reducing educational inequalities if looking at both inequalities related to social origins and gender at the same time. However, in regard to social inequalities Switzerland also performs well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on social mobility typically acknowledges the relevance of gender. However, gender-based differences still lack extensive description and explanation. This article starts by reviewing a number of influential contributions on social mobility, educational systems and employment change, as well as important critiques raised in feminist scholarship with regard to these topics of enquiry. We argue that class analysis should not only document asymmetry between men and women in greater detail, but also incorporate it as a piece of explanatory value in the understanding of social mobility at large. This is attempted by examining the data of the European Social Survey covering 22 countries. Drawing on this large-scale data set, we will demonstrate that the transformation of employment structures favours particular forms of upward mobility, which coexist with the resilience of gender inequality in accessing affluent classes. The impact of gender on the nexus between social background, educational attainment and class position is far from uniform in Europe, with significant variation across classes, countries and fields of study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective.To determine migrant workers' exposure to select occupational risks and compare it with that of non-migrant workers in Europe. Design.Based on the European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS-2005,n=29,654 workers, 31 countries) we examined differential prevalence amongst migrant and non-migrant workers' primary paid jobs in terms of employment arrangements (working >10 hours/day, working >5 days/week, on Sundays, without a contract, changes in the work schedule and not free to decide when to take holidays or days off) and working conditions (exposure to hazards including chemical, physical agents, physical load and psychological conditions). For the purpose of this study, a migrant is defined as a person without nationality of the country of residence (n=926). Adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs) for age, economic sector and education were calculated. Results.Differences in employment arrangements and working conditions were noted by migration status, gender and occupational status. Among non-manual workers, migrant males are more exposed than non-migrant males to negative psychosocial conditions – working at a very high speed (aPR 1.23; 95% CI 1.07–1.42) and shift work (aPR 1.66; 95% CI 1.27–2.17) – and adverse employment arrangements: working on Sundays (aPR 1.91; 95% CI 1.42–2.55), variable starting/finishing times (aPR 1.17; 95% CI 1.04–1.32) and changes in work schedule (aPR 1.56; 95% CI 1.30–1.88). Compared with non-migrant males, male migrant manual workers are the group with a greater number of disparities in terms of exposure to negative working conditions. Female migrant non-manual workers are more exposed to psychosocial conditions – working at very high speed (aPR 1.26; 95% CI 1.10–1.44) and shift work (aPR 1.61; 95% CI 1.29–2.01) while female manual migrant workers were more likely to report standing or walking (aPR 2.43; 95% CI 1.98–2.97), not having a contract (aPR 2.94; 95% CI 2.07–4.10) and not being free to decide days off and holidays (aPR 1.25; 95% CI 1.07–1.48) than non-migrants. Conclusion.Migrant workers across Europe are more likely to be exposed to certain working and employment arrangements that may place them at higher risk of future health problems. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Previous research suggests that the social network may play very different roles in relation to health in countries with differing welfare regimes. Objective: The study aimed to assess the interplay between social network, socioeconomic position, and self-rated health (SRH) in European countries. Methods: The study used cross-sectional data on individuals aged 50+ from the fourth wave of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) and includes data from 16 countries. The outcome is poor SRH. All analyses are adjusted for age and stratified by gender. Results: Low satisfaction with the social network was associated with poor SRH among women in all country groups, but predicted poor SRH among males in West/Central and Eastern Europe only. The results from the multivariable analysis showed an increased likelihood of poor SRH among those with relatively lower education, as well as among those with low satisfaction with the social network (women from all country groups and men from Western/Central and Eastern Europe). However, the results from interaction analysis show that poor SRH for those with lower relative position in educational level was greater among those with higher satisfaction with the social network among male and female participants from Northern Europe. The health of individuals who are highly satisfied with their social network is more associated with socioeconomic status in Northern Europe. Conclusions: This study highlights the significance of social network and socioeconomic gradients in health among the elderly in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]