Today, November 24, Eurofound announces the results of its sixth European Working Conditions Survey. Launched in 1995, the survey's findings deliver valuable insights into labor market issues affecting Europe. It provides a great opportunity for policymakers to improve working conditions, and for European nations to learn from one another about how to resolve issues affecting their own labor markets.

IZA World of Labor publishes evidence-based articles assessing the impact of policies to improve working conditions, and providing policy advice to help solve labor market issues like those raised in the Eurofound survey. For instance, "violence, harassment, and discrimination" at work comprises one section of the survey, and our articles offer solutions for discrimination still facing workers in 2015, including:

• To close the gender pay gap, Solomon Polachek advises repealing marriage taxes, and improving funding for childcare, thus removing the incentive for women to stop working once they get married.
• To eliminate discrimination due to sexual orientation, Nick Drydakis says governments should proactively promote respect and equality in the workplace and publish annual data on progress towards equality objectives.

• IZA World of Labor article and research informs the B20 Employment Taskforce Report. Learn more...
• Ulf Rinne's report on anonymous hiring featured in The Economist. Read more...
• US search engine data suggest firms are using employee benefits to attract job applicants. Read more...
• Higher levels of immigration do not harm educational achievement in host countries, says a new OECD report. Learn more...
• Japan falls back into recession for the fourth time in five years due to their labor shortages. Find out more...

• In his article The economic value of language skills, Gilles Grenier explains why learning a new language is an investment in human capital, and how linguistic diversity has both economic and cultural value. 
• Nikolaos Askitas writes how policymakers can use Google search data to detect in real time a spectrum of socioeconomic trends around the world, such as rising levels of unemployment as people search for jobs.
• As countries are facing increasing pressure to impose effective immigration policies, Madeline Zavodny asks Should countries auction immigrant visas? This innovative and controversial method could be a more efficient policy for allocating visas.
• Michael Clemens writes, in his article Smart policy toward high-skilled emigrants, that policies aimed at preventing the "brain drain" in developing countries are often ineffectual and can have harmful side effects for sending and receiving nations.

Visit the IZA World of Labor site for more concise, informative, evidence-based articles across the spectrum of labor economics.

• Cross-border migration and travel have a virtuous relationship, one boosting the other, which brings economic benefits but challenges public policy.
• The minimum wage has never been as high on the political agenda as it is today, with politicians and pressure groups across OECD nations calling for substantial increases. But, how are minimum wages set?
• What are the consequences of the obesity epidemic for immigrants? Often migrants are healthier than residents of the host country, policymakers should discuss methods to prevent this aspect of immigrant assimilation.
• Job insecurity affects both physical and mental health of the employed and unemployed, and the detrimental health effects are multiplied during a recession. This reinforces the need for effective, stabilizing macroeconomic policies.