EN
The global financial and economic crisis which started in the autumn of 2008 had a dramatic impact across European labour markets, although in some countries the labour markets initially showed good resilience. Between 2007 and 2010, the average unemployment rate in the EU-15 rose from 6,3%, to 9%. UB systems vary considerably across Europe in terms of their structure, generosity, entitlement and eligibility criteria. Across Europe, Governments have made a range of changes to national UB systems during the crisis, including both increasing (in first period in Mediterranean countries) and decreasing (Anglo-Saxon countries) the generosity of the benefits, adjusting the eligibility criteria, widening access to include certain vulnerable groups, tightening the monitoring of UB claimants.