Quality jobs are essential for people’s quality of life. They also strengthen Europe’s social economic model and competitiveness. For workers, quality jobs include elements such as fair pay, good working conditions, strong social protection and access to training and career development. Quality jobs also benefit companies by boosting productivity and helping attract and retain skilled workers.
Quality Jobs Roadmap
The European Commission has presented the Quality Jobs Roadmap, a strong commitment to improving job quality and creating high-quality and future-proof jobs in Europe.
The Roadmap focuses on the areas where EU action can make the greatest difference:
- creating and maintaining quality jobs across the EU
- ensuring fairness and modernisation in the world of work
- supporting workers and employers in the green, digital and demographic transitions
- strengthening social dialogue and collective bargaining
- ensuring effective access to rights, quality public services and adequate investment
The Roadmap has been developed based on extensive consultations with European and national trade unions and employer organisations (‘social partners’), mobilising around 200 organisations across the EU and engaging in more than 50 discussions in all Member States.
Quality Jobs Act
As announced by President von der Leyen in her 2025 state of the EU address and the Commission’s 2026 work programme, the Commission will propose a Quality Jobs Act in 2026. The new law will update EU rules protecting workers while supporting productivity and competitiveness.
The first-stage consultation on the Quality Jobs Act seeks social partners’ views on the direction of EU action to improve job quality.
Timeline
- March 2025Pact for European Social Dialogue
A new Pact for European Social Dialogue commits to deliver on Quality Jobs, a key element in the President’s Political Guidelines
- April-June 2025Extensive exchanges with social partners on the Quality Jobs Roadmap
Around 200 organisations took part, providing over 100 written inputs and engaging in more than 50 discussions across Europe
- October 2025Right to disconnect and telework
Two-stage consultation of European social partners on the right to disconnect and telework ends
- 4 December 2025Quality Jobs Roadmap
The Quality Jobs Roadmap is a strong commitment to improving job quality and creating high-quality and future-proof jobs in Europe.
- 4 Dec. 2025 - 29 Jan. 2026First-stage consultation of European social partners on the Quality Jobs Act
The consultation seeks views for a possible new EU law, which could come with additional non-legislative initiatives. It explores areas such as the right to disconnect, algorithmic management and AI at work, safety and health at work, subcontracting and enforcement.
- 2026Second-stage consultation of European social partners on the Quality Jobs Act
- End of 2026EU law proposal for a Quality Jobs Act
Linked initiatives
The Quality Jobs Roadmap and the upcoming Quality Jobs Act build on existing initiatives, including the Competitiveness Compass, the Union of Skills and the Clean Industrial Deal. They all underline quality jobs as a cornerstone of sustainable growth and a resilient Social Europe. The Commission also monitors job quality via the European Semesters.
