Technologies and job creation to shape positive change

The economic crisis has affected European countries, sectors and socioeconomic groups in different ways, but a widespread concern is certainly the high level of unemployment and the slow pace of job creation across the continent. There has been a sharp rise in social discontent, a climate of recriminations and divisions, and ultimately political instability – which in turn pushes governments themselves to pursue short-term policy goals at the national level to the detriment of longer-term and cooperative efforts. In the meantime, welfare systems are becoming unsustainable.

What is needed is a vision of the future that pursues growth (especially in the sectors with a multiplier potential) and addresses rising inequalities.

Against this background, the future of Transatlantic trade is a major concern, even more so in light of the hurdles along the road of TTIP negotiations.

A specific type of inequality is that between genders: progress in surmounting these obstacles has been slow and is limited to a few regions across the world. The unequal distribution of unpaid care and household work between women and men and between families and the society is an important determinant of gender inequalities at work.