ERC

The Employment Research Centre (ERC) is a group of researchers that investigate employment policies and practices in Ireland and Europe. The ERC carries out funded research projects usually lasting several years. These activities promote discussion between Irish and International academics, policy makers and other relevant social actors. To encourage discussion in a wider arena the ERC publishes occasional newsleters which provide information on the state of their projects. The ERC also carries out short-term contract research and consultancy in equal opportunities (audits and evaluations) and labour market analysis.

One emerging focus is on the relationship between employment and mobility. Travel to work can mean the daily car commute, but also it can mean temporary or permanent migration between countries. Furthermore, travelling and working at the same time is becoming increasingly common. Given the environmental impact of much travel, this in turn links employment to questions of sustainability in novel ways, while putting the current debates on immigration in Ireland in the broader context of global migration. Current projects in this area include a study of 'Cars, debts and public transport: urban mobility in the crisis'; the IRC funded 'Learning from Poland - The implications of Polish migration to Ireland for contemporary Irish emigration' project (Principal Investigator: Prof James Wickham) and the 'LAB-MIG-GOV - Labour Migration Governance in Contemporary Europe' project supported by the 'Europe and Global Challenges' programme (Dr Camila Devitt).

The current Director of the Employment Research Centre is Dr Peter Mühlau.

Sociology staff members involved in the ERC:

• Dr Alicja Bobek
• Dr Camilla Devitt
• Dr Elaine Moriarty
• Dr Peter Mühlau
• Dr Antje Röder
• Prof James Wickham

For further information please consult the Employment Research Centre website.