Employment Resilience in Europe and the 2008 Economic Crisis: Insights from Micro-Level Data

Abstract

Doran J. and Fingleton B. Employment resilience in Europe and the 2008 economic crisis: insights from micro-level data, <i>Regional Studies</i>. This paper analyses employment resilience to the 2008 economic crisis using individual-level data from the European Social Survey (ESS) combined with NUTS-1 regional economic statistics. It models employment outcomes for individuals for 2002–08 and generates counterfactual outcomes for 2010 for individual-level employment assuming there is no recession. A resilience index, based on the difference between employment outcomes assuming actual economic conditions and a no recession counterfactual, is generated. Resilience varies substantially and is higher in German and French regions than in peripheral regions. Highly educated individuals, middle-aged individuals, unionized workers and men are more resilient.