The European social partners for the European electricity industry had requested an update of the 2001 employment study by the Commission. The first results of this study into the effect of the opening of electricity and gas markets in Europe (covering all Member States and Roumania, Bulgaria and Turkey) were presented, 16 October. Their findings indicate that 23% of jobs have been lost between 1996 and 2006. It is a process that is still going on. The results of the study are based on surveys of the trade unions and companies. The consensus is that restructuring and job loss are largely attributed to liberalisation. There is no evidence that as a consequences of liberalisation jobs have been created elsewhere in the economy. Read more