Occupational mobility Sectoral and occupational mobility are equally important aspects of labour market flexibility and there is evidence that this is relatively high in most Member States. Making it easier for people to change jobs and ensuring access to the necessary retraining is important for combating emerging skill shortages, narrowing productivity gaps and thereby promoting growth and employment. Flexible labour markets mean that employers also, adapt to the needs and capacities of individuals and to capitalise on their potential so as to maximise the supply of skills. Evidence of a lack of such adjustment is the low rate of training of workers and the low employment rate of disabled people. While this varies between Member States, it tends to be higher in countries where the overall employment rate is also high.
Disability is often the result of dangerous working conditions and poor safety standards.
10 million people every year are stricken by occupational diseases, injuries or accidents. A decisive implementation of agreed health and safety standards would substantially improve the safety situation, reduce public expenditures and increase the employability of the work force. This proportion tends to rise slightly in periods of strong growth. In 1996, some 5 million people had been unemployed for more than two years. Structural unemployment reflects the nature of the economy, not the individual.