EEI Networking Event

Brussels, 4 December 2025

The European Employers’ Institute (EEI) was pleased to welcome members and stakeholders to its networking event held on 4 December 2025 in Brussels. The evening brought together representatives from EU institutions, European and national employers’ organisations as well as research bodies for an in-depth discussion on Europe’s labour productivity performance and the policy challenges affecting competitiveness and growth.

Welcome and Opening

The event opened with remarks from Delphine Rudelli, Chair of the EEI Board, who highlighted the importance of strengthening Europe’s economic foundations through informed policymaking and improved business conditions.

Presentation: Understanding the EU–US Labour Productivity Gap

Olivier Redoulès, Economist and Director of Studies at Rexecode, presented findings from three recent EEI studies exploring the persistent and widening productivity gap between the EU and the United States.

Key insights included:

• The productivity gap between the EU’s six original member states and the US has widened significantly since the late 1990s, while more recent EU members have partially converged from much lower starting levels.
• The gap now affects all major sectors, with the largest absolute differences in Information & Communication, Financial Activities, and Manufacturing, and the largest relative differences in Agriculture, Information & Communication, and Personal Services.From 2019 to 2024, labour productivity grew nearly four times faster in the US than in the EU.
• The EU is facing multiple headwinds, including an industrial competitiveness shock, weaker private investment, a chronic innovation and digitalisation deficit, increased regulatory complexity, and labour market dynamics that have limited productivity gains.

Panel Discussion

A panel moderated by David Rose, Director at LACS Training, provided deeper reflections on the study findings and their implications for employers and policymakers.

The panel featured:

• Olivier Redoulès, Rexecode
• Kerstin Hallsten, Chief Economist, Swedish Association of Industrial Employers
• Jonas Fluchtmann, Labour Economist, OECD
• Francesco Corti, Member of Cabinet of EVP Roxana Mînzatu

Panellists discussed Europe’s structural challenges, gaps in innovation and investment, the impact of recent economic shocks, and the need for coordinated European action to restore competitiveness. An engaged audience contributed questions on sector-specific impacts, labour market policies, and potential levers for productivity growth.

Closing Remarks and Networking Reception

The discussion was followed by concluding remarks from Delphine Rudelli, who underlined the EEI’s commitment to supporting evidence-based dialogue among employers across Europe.

The evening continued with a networking reception, allowing participants to exchange views and explore opportunities for future collaboration.