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?:abstract
  • Belgium appears to have one of the most thriving and stable middle classes in the world. By all available indicators, Belgium’s middle class enjoys a high overall living standard, in a context of low overall income inequality (see Figure 3.1). In addition, median net wealth appears to be among the highest in the euro area, again in the context of what appears to be a less unequal distribution than in many countries. Middle-class living standards and consumption levels have remained relatively unaffected by the recent economic crisis. Belgium’s economy was relatively unaffected in the first place and automatic stabilizers, such as extensive short-time compensation schemes, were instrumental in sheltering the middle class from adverse impacts. Belgium’s high overall living standard in a context of comparably low inequality can in part be linked to the country’s extensive and resilient social concertation model. Union membership has remained comparatively high and social partners play a dominant and stabilizing role in social and economic policy. Wage bargaining occurs in a multi-tiered coordinated system and legal extension of collective agreements ensures that all workers are covered. In addition – and importantly – Belgium has an extensive welfare state that also caters to the middle class to a large extent: this applies, for example, to education, health care, social services (childcare) and other services (one of which, the service voucher scheme, features prominently in this chapter). (xsd:string)
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  • http://dx.doi.org/10.4337/9781786430601.00008. (Eurobarometer) (xsd:string)
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  • Eurobarometer-Bibliography (xsd:string)
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  • 2016 (xsd:gyear)
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  • 2016 (xsd:gyear)
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  • 10.4337/9781786430601.00008 ()
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  • 112 (xsd:string)
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  • Social concertation ans middle-class stability in Belgium (xsd:string)
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  • incollection (xsd:string)
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  • Europe's Disappearing Middle Class? Evidence from the World of Work (xsd:string)
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  • Bibsonomy (xsd:string)
  • In Europe's Disappearing Middle Class? Evidence from the World of Work, edited by Vaughan-Whitehead, Daniel, 112-159, Edward Elgar Publishing, 2016 (xsd:string)
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  • EB - Standard and Special Eurobarometer (xsd:string)
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  • 2016 (xsd:string)
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  • Eurobarometer (xsd:string)
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  • 159 (xsd:string)
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