Mapping labour market attachment among vulnerable groups in European countries. Health-related and intersectional barriers before and after COVID-19 pandemic

This working paper aims to examine whether the characteristics of at-risk groups in terms of labour market vulnerability have changed from the pre-pandemic period (2019) to the post-pandemic period (2022), and to assess whether contextual factors are associated with the labour market attachment of at-risk groups during these periods. Particular attention is paid to how health-related limitations intersect with other sociodemographic variables—such as age, gender, education, or household composition—to shape patterns of labour market attachment or exclusion. In this way, this paper analyses labour market attachment through an intersectional lens, recognising that vulnerability is dynamic – accumulating or decreasing over
time depending on individual situations and the context, for example, economic downturns or the supportiveness of social policies.