October 2014

The free movement of workers across Member States is one the main historic achievements of the European integration process. Not only is such freedom important from the individual worker’s perspective, dramatically increasing the scope of potential employment opportunities. In a situation of uneven economic development, such mobility has also proven to be an important mechanism as a free-market regulator. The movement of workers from member states whose post-crisis unemployment levels remain higher than in nations with more favourable labour markets has improved the lot of the movers as well as cut unemployment in sending countries and helped to fill skills gaps in recipient countries, thus increasing overall EU productivity.