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On Shaky Ground? Income Instability and Economic Insecurity in Europe

image of On Shaky Ground? Income Instability and Economic Insecurity in Europe

Over the past few decades, economies and technologies have changed in ways that have made people’s economic prospects more insecure. While non-standard work and digital transformation have created opportunities for many, they have also exposed individuals to fluctuations in their incomes, known as "income instability", as have major recent shocks. Recognising that individuals’ jobs and circumstances can change multiple times in a year, this report uses novel techniques to identify who is most exposed to income instability in European OECD countries and examines the effects it has on their lives, social mobility, and inequality. Income instability can be difficult to manage for individuals who lack the financial resources to smooth their incomes. In this report, people facing the twin problems of exposure and vulnerability to income instability are considered to be economically insecure. Economic insecurity falls predominantly on people with weak attachments to the labour force and on those who are not well-placed to leverage the benefits of digitalisation. People at risk of economic insecurity are more likely to worry about losing their jobs in the future than economically secure individuals and, as shown in other research, experience poor health, food insecurity, and poor childhood development outcomes, which can impede social mobility. Finally, the report reviews a range of policies to improve the timeliness of social protection to better support people with highly unstable incomes and explores options to help those most at risk of economic insecurity build financial buffers.

English Also available in: French

Executive summary

Changes in income are a routine part of life and often signify milestones like entering the labour market, career advancement, caring for children or retiring. While some income shifts can be beneficial, not all of them contribute to people's overall well-being. Income losses can have far‑reaching negative consequences on people’s lives and on society, especially when precipitated by unexpected events such as job loss or illness. Concerns about job losses and working hours rose recently with the onset of COVID‑19 and even though labour markets are currently tight in most OECD countries, long-term structural changes – including digital transformation, globalisation and population ageing – mean that some people perennially face the risks of job insecurity.

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