Women’s Labour Market Performance in Europe: Trends and Shaping Factors

The objective of this paper is two-fold. First, it aims to assess recent trends in women’s employment and labour market participation with a focus on the changes in the ‘type’ of occupation (temporary vs. regular and part-time vs. full-time) women are involved in. Secondly, it examines the role played by the interplay of macro-institutional factors and policies and individual characteristics in explaining the observed trends and cross-country differences by means of a multi-level approach. In particular, it questions the role that the reforms towards a model of a ‘flexicure’ labour market have played in explaining recent trends in women’s participation.