Measuring the joint distribution of household income, consumption and wealth at the micro-level – Methodological issues and experimental results – 2023 edition

This paper provides an overview of the work of the Expert Group on the Joint Distribution of Income, Consumption and Wealth at Micro Level (EG ICW) set up by Eurostat and the OECD; it discusses the challenges on producing joint income, consumption and wealth estimates, assesses their quality, and presents selected experimental results. Although the analysis reveals large differences between countries, a number of general patterns emerge. First, income, consumption and wealth are partially correlated, with the association being stronger in the tails of the joint distribution than around its middle. Second, risk of poverty goes beyond income, with asset and consumption risk of poverty being widespread, especially among some population groups. Third, a large share of households spend more than they earn. This is corroborated by negative median saving rates for households in the bottom income quintile. Fourth, inequalities are significantly higher when using a comprehensive measure of material living standards than a distributional analysis of disposable income would suggest. Looking ahead, this paper calls for further efforts to improve the robustness of the results. Key words: income inequality, consumption inequality, wealth inequality, experimental statistics

https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/ks-tc-22-003

Possibility of recognising COVID-19 as being of occupational origin at national level in EU and EFTA countries - 2022 edition

The health crisis of 2020 has highlighted the occupational risk associated with COVID-19, which consequently has had repercussions on insurance against accidents at work and occupational diseases. In this context, Eurostat launched in November 2020 a survey on the possibility of recognising the occupational nature of COVID-19 in Europe and continue to receive updated information on the subject. The geographical coverage is the 27 Member States, Norway and Switzerland.

The survey shows that in all countries, the occupational risk of COVID-19 is considered. However, there are some differences in the practical modalities of recognising this risk. These differences relate, among other things, to the way in which the file will be investigated (i.e. as an accident at work and/or an occupational disease) and to the sectors and occupations concerned by this possible recognition (limited to the health sector or extended to wider range of sectors). This updated statistical report presents the national legal practices and reflects the situation of October 2022.

https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/KS-FT-22-009-EN-N.pdf