How will the Circular Economy affect European workers and employers?

“The European cross-sectoral social partners (i.e. the European Trade Union Confederation – ETUC on the workers’ side, BusinessEurope, SMEUnited and the European Centre of Employers and Enterprises providing Public Services – CEEP on the employers’ side) have identified Circular Economy as a major development affecting the labour market (employment, skills, working conditions). The project identifies the main impacts of Circular Economy on five selected sectors (manufacturing of basic metals and materials, manufacturing of durable consumer goods, retail, construction, waste management) and the responses found at national level by social partners. The project is conducted by Trinomics and will run from April 2020 to December 2021.

This investigation provided the following preliminary results:

  • To identify the main impacts, already occurring and foreseen, of the shift to the Circular Economy on the European labour market, and more specifically on employment, skills and working conditions, in 5 priority sectors: manufacturing of basic metals and materials, manufacturing of durable consumer goods, retail, construction, waste management;
  • Create a common understanding of Circular Economy among the European cross-sectoral social partners and among social partners at national level;
  • Identify key actions that European social partners could perform to facilitate the transition to the Circular Economy, or key public policies that they could jointly support.