LABOUR FORCE PARTICIPATION AND FAMILY POLICIES IN EUROPE: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY

The aim of our research is the identification of factors affecting labour force participation (LFP) in the EU in the years 1998-2007 with a specific focus made on family policies. We perform the analysis separately for men and women, taking into account differences in the LFP levels and patterns observable among age and country groups. Our main findings suggest that generally the family policies are relevant for the age groups 15- 24 and 40-59 in determining their LFS, while less influential for the age group 25-39. Nevertheless, significant differences in the sign and the magnitude of the influence exist between specific policy instruments.