KEFiM further extends its actions and international partnerships! Starting in 2019, KEFiM will participate in the drafting of the Employment Flexibility Index for EU and OECD countries.

The Index is an initiative of the active Lithuanian Free Market Institute in cooperation with the Institute of Market Economics (Bulgaria), the Center for Economic and Market Analyses (Czech Republic), the Academy of Liberalism (Estonia), the Civil Development Forum (Poland), and the Institute of Economic and Social Studies (Slovakia).

It is based on the World Bank data regarding the regulatory framework of employment and the methodology used by the Rigidity of Employment Index. It examines the fields related to employment, working hours, the rules and costs of firing someone, with the aim of promoting dialogue on labor market regulation and the importance of flexibility in employment.

Greece, at this year’s Employment Flexibility Index, stands at 35th place in a total of 41 countries, despite the extensive labor reforms implemented in recent years, a fact that reflects on the country’s high unemployment rate, growth, competitiveness and real wages.

With the participation of a Greek think tank in the draft of this Index, our goal is to provide useful data, arguments and policy proposals in the public dialogue regarding the working environment in Greece.