Research Projects on Employment and Social Policy

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.
Using social media data to ‘nowcast’ migration around the globe
05 Nov 2020

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 are developing an approach to compute near real-time migration estimates for Europe and the United States using social media data.
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.
Britain's Healthiest Workplace survey findings
25 Nov 2019

Absence and presenteeism accounts for an average of 38 days' lost productivity per employee per year, marking an upward trend in lost productivity since 2014, when the number was only 23 days.
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.
How technology may change services sectors
26 Jun 2019

Researchers explored how 'game-changing' tech like robotics, autonomous transport, blockchain, virtual and augmented reality, and wearable devices will impact the EU's services sectors, and their wider socio-economic implications.
Econometric modelling support links research and innovation to jobs and growth
21 Dec 2018

RAND Europe researchers assessed research and innovation reforms in EU countries to improve the modelling of policy impacts within the European Commission's QUEST III macroeconomic model.
Cambridge skills shortages
24 Oct 2018

An examination of skills shortages in the Cambridge–Peterborough regional labour pool found the share of hard-to-fill vacancies for professionals is much higher than nationally, but there is also a shortage of people with skills in low-level roles. One recommended solution is for employers to provide more training to upskill the local workforce.
Measuring employee engagement in the NHS
11 Oct 2018

Analysis of the NHS Healthy Workforce Survey and VitalityHealth’s Britain’s Healthiest Workplace survey found that staff engagement in the NHS is similar to other large UK employers with a similar demographic composition, and that demographic factors such as gender and age are associated with different levels of engagement.
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.
Ensuring High-Quality Job Creation from EU Funding Programmes
14 Jun 2018

Following the 2008 global economic crisis, job creation has been a key focus of recovery. The European Parliament has commissioned RAND Europe to analyse various EU funding programmes’ potential to create high-quality jobs and identify key characteristics for job-creation success.
Examining the UK's compliance with the EU Written Statement Directive
12 Feb 2018

The EU Written Statement Directive gives employees the right to be notified in writing about the essential aspects of their employment relationship, but changes in the labour market have led the EU to consider updating the Directive. As part of a larger assessment, RAND Europe examined the UK's compliance with the Written Statement Directive.
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 How Organisations Ensure Fair Decision Making
20 Sep 2017

The General Medical Council asked RAND Europe to identify relevant lessons from multiple sectors in the UK where professionals make complex, high-impact decisions in a regulatory context. Researchers investigated the tools, practices and processes used by organisations in the healthcare regulation, legal regulation and defence and security sectors.