HORIZON EUROPE: Providing support in a changing world of work and social protection

Expected Outcome

Projects should contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

Better understand the labour market impacts of the arising new forms of work on the European welfare systems, cast against a background of demographic changes, globalisation, digitalisation and a green transition.
Propose policy measures for adapting welfare systems to improve their contribution to reducing socio-economic inequalities and poverty, to protecting people from various forms of hardship and to providing the possibility for atypical workers and the self-employed to transition towards more stable work relationships if desired, while acting as an important catalyst for economic prosperity.
Draw lessons from recent policy interventions in a contextual manner and propose adjustment measures.

Scope

Welfare states play an integral role in reducing socio-economic inequalities and lifelong consequences of growing up in poverty, as well as in protecting people from various forms of hardship (such as unemployment and ill health) and in providing the possibility for atypical workers and the self-employed to shift towards more stable work relationships, if desired. They are also an important catalyst for economic prosperity. On the medium term however, Europe is expected to face intense demographic changes coupled with a decarbonisation of its economy, globalisation and digitalisation, all of which affect the labour market and related welfare state. At the same time, new forms of work arise, and these risk creating jobs that contribute less to and are less protected by the welfare state.

Innovative research that investigates and provides new understanding about the impact of such changes on the European labour market and related welfare systems is therefore needed, to ensure that welfare systems adapt accordingly and continue to fulfil the above mentioned roles.

Research activities may focus on the interaction between welfare policies and labour market aspects of demographic change (such as ageing, changes in household patterns, evolution of gender roles, etc.). They may alternatively concentrate on the interaction between welfare policies and labour market aspects of globalisation (such as trade liberalisation, immigration, tax competition, etc.), of digitalisation or of the green transition (such as task automation, increased career heterogeneity, job transitioning, work-home balance, need for reskilling, upskilling and lifelong learning, etc.). For example, proposals may consider the impact of an ageing population on public revenues and expenditure, while exploring alternative tax structures, tax bases and revenue sources to be implemented in an increasingly globalised economy. Proposals may otherwise investigate the impact of precariousness, unemployment and increasing job transitions on the psychosocial work environment, on social security systems, economic competitiveness and the overall mental health and wellbeing of concerned individuals, including children and youth. Furthermore, they may explore the ways in which market access and digitalisation should be shaped to enable transitions into decent work and increased socio-economic security and the role of welfare on stimulating entrepreneurship and risk-taking.

Where relevant, activities should build upon existing research, draw lessons from recent policy interventions in a contextual and transdisciplinary manner and propose adjustment measures, or test them through social innovation experiments.