Middle class in Europe since the 2008 crisis

During the 2005-2014 period, the size of the middle-class of income met different trends across European countries. This article shows the resilience of middle-class in France, Belgium and the Netherland. They are characterized by relatively centralized wage setting processes and a generous welfare state. It contrasts to the middle-class shrinking observed in Germany and Sweden or in South European countries after the crisis. However, even in the resilient cases, there is a worsening of middle-class position on the labour market (increasing unemployment and non-standard employment) and more particularly lower middle-class.