Research Projects on Employment and Social Policy

Reviewing the evidence in key areas for the UK Department of Work and Pensions
21 Mar 2022

To inform policy and practice for DWP and other policymakers, researchers are conducting evidence reviews on effective contracting of employment and health services, digitalising welfare services, understanding state pension age systems, understanding household formation and preventing living-together fraud, and understanding the effectiveness of interventions to promote in-work progression.
‘Green’ jobs and skills development for disadvantaged groups
04 Jan 2022

While much has been written about employment for vulnerable groups, and employment in the green economy, little research exists that bridges these two areas. RAND Europe, with philanthropic support from JP Morgan Chase, is working to remedy that.
European Platform for Investing in Children identifies 'practices that work' across member states
29 Dec 2021

Reflecting the European Commission’s policy focus on children at risk, EPIC evaluates and disseminates practices that improve outcomes. RAND Europe's latest EPIC policy memo examines juggling work and childcare during the pandemic.
Using social media data to ‘nowcast’ migration around the globe
16 Dec 2021

Because official statistics can be delayed or fail to correctly capture the full extent of migration, making informed policy decisions can be a challenge. Researchers developed an approach to compute near-real-time migration estimates for Europe and the United States using social media data.
Combatting psychological violence against women across the EU
23 Jul 2021

Commissioned by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), researchers are conducting a study to help strengthen the institutional capacity of the EU and member states to combat psychological violence against women and coercive control.
Assessing the economic value of illicit markets in the EU
22 Mar 2021

The aggregate annual revenues of the nine main criminal markets in the EU ranged from €92 to €188 billion in 2019, according to research that examined the scale, actors, modus operandi and trends in these markets.
Examining COVID-19 and intimate partner violence
08 Mar 2021

Researchers identified 27 practices that—to varying degrees—have ensured the continuity, accessibility and sustainability of support to women victims during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Examining child participation in EU political and democratic life
22 Feb 2021

An examination of how children participate in decision-making processes across the EU — including at the member state and local level — highlights both challenges and opportunities for improvement. The most successful schemes to promote children’s participation are inclusive, impactful and child-led, but societal views and attitudes can present barriers.
Incentivising parents to return to the labour market after parental leave
25 Nov 2020

Employers in the EU have a wide range of options to incentivise parents of young children to return to work. Government policies addressing the unequal distribution of unpaid (care) work and reducing the gender pay gap would also help increase the employment of mothers.
Ideas to stimulate and sustain innovation in adult social care provision
23 Oct 2020

The demand for adult social care in the UK is rising and will continue to rise, but the supply of such care is struggling to keep up. Innovation in social care can enable more and better care to be delivered more cost-effectively.
How, and how much, do migrants use UK health services?
30 Mar 2020

Recent arrivals to the UK use the NHS significantly less than the UK-born population, though the difference narrows when adjusted for age and self-assessed health. However, more work is needed to provide insights to policy makers on migrant use of the NHS, their health needs, and the quality of health care received.
Equal pay for equal work and the gender pay gap
06 Mar 2020

The European Parliament is exploring legislation around pay-transparency measures. Such measures have a clear potential to address unjustified or discriminatory wage gaps, but certain disadvantages need to be considered in implementing them.
International comparison of consular services
21 Nov 2019

To help the Dutch government identify best practices for consular services, researchers compared the the support different countries provide to their citizens abroad. The insights may help the Netherlands identify innovative practices, procedures and ways of organising their consular services.
Exploring NHS and Social Care Funding Options
07 Oct 2019

Research on different health and social care funding models assessed the popularity of different funding approaches among the UK public. Previous research examined other countries' funding schemes and found there is no single, commonly preferred solution to achieving sustainable revenues.
Understanding barriers to international mobility for researchers
18 Sep 2018

International travel can help researchers work better together, but it has its challenges. RAND Europe surveyed researchers to gain a better understanding of their experiences of travelling for work and how that varies internationally.
Understanding Private Sector Researcher Mobility
28 Sep 2017

The UK is an attractive place to work for researchers in the private sector, but Britain's decision to leave the EU has led to concerns from industry around access to talent, staff retention, and research funding.
Understanding the Mobility of Public Sector and Academic Researchers
04 May 2017

A study for the Royal Society, the UK's national academy of science, determined that professional motivations are the main drivers of academic and public sector researcher mobility, and most such researchers feel there is an expectation that they be internationally mobile.
Mediterranean Foresight Forum
26 Jan 2017

The Mediterranean Foresight Forum (MFF) was a RAND-funded effort to monitor current affairs, analyse future scenarios and simulate policy options to support the implementation of comprehensive responses to complex challenges in the Mediterranean region.
Assessing the Effectiveness of Conditional Cash Transfers as a Development Mechanism
02 Nov 2016

Conditional cash transfer programmes (CCTs) are seen as particularly effective in low- and middle-income countries, but relatively little is known about the interface between the supply of services and programme administration and specific human development outcomes. RAND Europe assessed the effectiveness of CCTs through a two-year grant from UK Economic Social Research Council and Department for International Development.
Ending the Schengen Agreement Would Cost €2–3 Billion Annually
13 Oct 2016

The economic costs of European countries ending the Schengen Agreement and reintroducing border controls range in the billions of euros, with further political and social costs.