Decent work as a necessary condition for sustainable well-being. A tale of Pi(i)gs and farmers

Abstract

This article analyzes with a holistic and systematic approach the state of working conditions in the European labor market after the crisis, as well as their effects on worker well-being. For this, a distinction will be made between the southern countries most affected, namely Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece, and Spain (Piigs), and the northern countries that are, a priori, less damaged by the crisis (Farmers). The samples integrate 7867 workers from the five Piigs countries (36.2%) and 13,894 from the 10 Farmers countries (63.8%). The results have broadly confirmed the research purposes and they established that ensuring well-being is the key to sustainability, growth, and success for workers, groups, and organizations.