ABSTRACT
While recent studies have highlighted the phenomenon and risks of increased inequalities between the top and the bottom of society, little research has so far been carried out on trends relating to the median income range that generally represents the middle class. This chapter examines the following questions: How to best measure the middle class, and on this basis, what are the long-term trends for the middle class in Europe? What are the main transformations in the world of work over the last 20 years in terms of the labour market, social dialogue, and conditions of work, wages and incomes that may have affected the middle class? How has the middle class been shaped by the financial and economic crisis? What policies—also beyond the labour sphere—would be urgently needed to stabilize the middle class in most European countries? This chapter also investigates the potential risks and effects of the reshuffling, or even weakening, of the middle class. It is aimed at issuing a timely warning about the latest trends and future of the middle class in Europe.
