Maria Jepsen
Acting head of department, senior researcher
Born 1966, in Denmark, holds a PhD in Economics and DEA (post-graduate diploma) in Econometrics from the Free University of Brussels. She lives in Brussels and has two children. Before joining the ETUI in 2001, Maria Jepsen worked at the Applied Economics Department at the Free University of Brussels (DULBEA) as a researcher where her main research areas were gender economics and social protection.
At the ETUI Maria Jepsen is a senior researcher with the responsibility for research on comparative social policy, gender issues and research policy. She is also maitre de conférence (associate professor) at the Free University of Brussels at at the institute of labour science and associate researcher at DULBEA.
Gender related issues and comparative research on social protection systems in the European Union.
Positions:
|
2002- |
Associate professor, ULB |
|
2001- |
Senior researcher, ETUI, Brussels |
|
1996-2000 |
Researcher, DULBEA, Free University of Brussels (ULB) |
|
1994-1996 |
Project co-ordinator, Bureau de Liaison de la Croix |
Other activities:
Co-editer of Transfer2/2004 on 'Flexicurity'.
Reviewer for Les Cahiers Economiques de Bruxelles.
Participation in several, international networks
Advisory activities:
Nommé expert de la section spécialisée «Emploi, affaires sociales et citoyenneté» en vue de l'assister dans l'élaboration de l'avis du comité économique et social européen sur la communication de la commission au consiel sur «acroître l'emploi des travailleurs âgés er différer la sortie du marché du travail».
Nommé par la Commission européenne comme membre de l'EURAB (European Research Advisory Board) pour la période 2001-2004 ainsi pour la période 2004-2007. L'EURAB a été établi en vue de donner des conseils à la Commission européenne sur la conception et la mise en oeuvre de la politique à suivre en matière de recherche et de développement au niveau européen.
The ESM is a key concept for trade unions as it expresses and regroups the various elements which the trade unions defend and promote, e.g. social dialogue, welfare systems etc. The European Social Model is facing a host of challenges which are affecting policy making and the policy choices made on both the European and the national level. These policy choices are in some cases taking a very different departure from previous policy choices and hence there is reason to believe that the ESM as we understand it today will change in a rather profound manner.
Women are key in the discussion on demographic change: not only do they constitute an under-utilised pool of labour to face the labour shortage, but they are also one of the main actors in the provision of the future work-force; thirdly, they are the key providers of both formal and informal care to children and the elderly and, fourthly, they constitute the major part of the older population due to their longer life-expectancy, making them more reliant on welfare provision in the long run. Hence their role is primordial, and yet also fraught with problems. The main problems are linked to the triple bind facing women, as follows: the demand for an increase - and a continuing increase - in their labour market participation; the implicit expectation that they should give birth to more children; and, thirdly, the growing demand, at a later stage in their lives, to care for their grandchildren, as well as for their own parents.
In Europe occupational or supplementary pension schemes are developing very fast in nearly all countries. Between 1998 and 1999 the number of autonomous funds has increased in half of the European Union Member States for which data are available, with the highest growth rate recorded in Spain with 13.2%. Investments have increased in nearly all EU-Member States in the 1998-99 period (by 13% to 20%).
Over the past decade the term "European Social Model" has increasingly cropped up in European Commission documents. It is being promoted as a unique European approach to the structure of state-society relations. However, analysts are increasingly challenging the coherence and viability of this model. Two main questions are being raised, the first pertains to the definition of the European Social Model, where it is argued that rather than describing a European reality it is a catchword covering a heterogeneous group of quite different social models. The second question addresses the sustainability of the European Social Model in the face of globalisation and especially European economic integration: how has the ongoing process of European economic integration and globalisation affected (and how will it affect) the scope of and the room for specific welfare state activities. It is this very important question that the project will concentrate on.
While job growth in the European Union from 1991 to 1996 was almost entirely due to an increase in part-time employment, which even compensated for the decrease in full-time employment, this trend has changed with the economic upswing. Since 1997 created employment also includes full-time jobs, and in 1999, for the first time since 1990, the percentage of newly created full-time employment was higher than for part-time employment. The contribution of part-time contra full-time employment to the change in employment from 1994 to 1999 varies strongly across the European Union.
Companies, sectors, national governments and, last but not least, the European Union as a whole are currently facing a twofold expectation. On the one hand there is strong demand for further flexibilisation of labour markets, employment and the work organisation, while at same time an equally strong demand exists for providing security to employees, especially vulnerable groups of employees.
ETUI-REHS Research
Boulevard du Roi Albert II, 5 - Box 4
B-1210 Brussels
Belgium
Office N°: 433
This book, the second in a series, discusses a comprehensive set of measures aimed at increasing the employment rate of older workers. The book’s six chapters, and smaller sections of comments, deal with the incentives/disincentives debate, employment and training policies in favour of older workers, the issues of work organisation and reorganisation of working time, the availability of social infrastructures and, last but not least, the question of how to change the attitudes of employers, workers and trade unions with a view to keeping older workers in employment.
This book sets out to describe how, in nine EU countries (Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the UK, Italy, Sweden and the Netherlands), social partners and governments have been successful in increasing the employment rates of older workers, or have failed to do so. Different paths have been tried out in different countries, some with more success than others. The book highlights good and bad practices in the field of employment, training, social protection and taxation policies. Current policies are evaluated and proposals are made for further successful action. Amongst major reforms discussed, the book refers to the development of systems of partial, phased, progressive or flexible retirement.
A background paper for the ETUC/ETUI-REHS top-level summer school, Florence, 1-2 July 2005
Documents de travail pour l'Université d'été de la CES/ETUI-REHS des dirigeants syndicaux européens, Florence 1-2 juillet 2005
'The wage penatly induced by part-time work: the case of Belgium', in collaboration with M. O'Dorchai, S., Plasman, R. and Rycx, F. in Cahier économiques de Bruxelles, forthcoming 2005
'The European Social Model: an Exercise of Deconstruction' in collaboration with Serraon, A. in Journal of European Social Policy, forthcoming 2005
'Flexicurity: an instrument for gender equality?', in Thomas Bredgaard & Flemming Larsen (eds.), Employment policy from different angles, Aalborg University Press, Aalborg, 2005.
'Une approch genre de 'flexicurity'' in Chroniques Féministes n° 89/90, Bruxelles, 2004.
Women in Industrial Research: Analysis of statistical data and good practices of companies, in collaboration with Meulders, D., Plasman, R., Cincera, M., Leliere, S., Danis, S., O'Dorchai, S., Tojerow, I., Gagnji, A., Moreno, D., Caprile, M., Kruger, K. for the European Commission, Luxembourg, Office for official publications of the European communities, 2004.
Women in Industrial Research. A wake up call for European Industry, a report from the high level expert group on Women in Industrial Research, in collaboration with DG Research,Brussels: European Commission, 2003.
'Individualisation of Social Protection Rights' in collaboration with Meulders, D., in Sarfati, H., Bonoli, G. (eds.), Labour Market and Social Protection Reforms in International Perspectives: Parallel or Converging Tracks?, Ashgate, UK, 2002.
'L'individualisation des droits dans les systèmes de protection sociale' in collaboration with Meulders, D. in Sarfati, H., Bonoli, G., Peter Lang (eds.), Mutations du marché du travail et protection sociale dansune perspective internationale?, Berlin, 2002.
'Evaluation des différentiels salariaux en Belgique: hommes - femmes et temps partiel - temps plein' in Reflets et Perspectives de la vie économique, 2001 - N° 1-2, Brussels.
'Working-time, Women and Low-wages inBelgium', in collaboration with D. Meulders, and I. Terraz, in S. Gustafson, D. Meulders (eds.), Gender and the Labour Market. Econometric Evidence on Obstacles in Achieving Gender Equality, MacMillan, 2000, UK.
'Proteccion social e impuesto sobre la renta. Cual es el papel de los derechos privados?', in collaboration with Meulders, D., Plasman, O. in Paloma de Villota (ed.), La Politica economica desde una perspectiva de género. La individualizacion de los derechos sociales y fiscales en la Union Europea, Alianza Editorial, 2000, Madrid
'What Do We Know About the Link Between Low Pay, Gender and Part-time' in Transfer 4/2000, Brussels
'Working-time, Women and Poverty in Belgium', in collaboration with D. Meulders, and I. Terraz, in Travail, Genre et Sociétés. La Revue du MAGE, 1/1999, Paris.
'Quality of Employment and Gender', in collaboration with Meulders, D., Transfer 2/98,Brussels.
'Working-time, Women and Low-wages', in collaboration with Meulders, D., Terraz, I., Etudes féministes Sophia N° 16, 1998 pp. 12-14, Bruxelles.
'Gender Inequalities in European Unemployment Benefit Systems', in collaboration with D. Meulders, Revue Internationale de la Sécurité Sociale, 4/1997.
'Sécurité Sociale: le rôle des droits dérivés?' in collaboration with D. Meulders, O. Plasman, Cahiers du MAGE, 3/1997, Paris.
eZ debug |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Timing points:
Time accumulators:
Templates used to render the page: |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
