Employee ownership has continuously progressed across Europe since the financial crisis, according to the Economic Survey of Employee Ownership in European Countries in 2010 conducted by the European Federation of Employee Share Ownership.
The number of employee owners was nearly 10 million in 2010 in large European organisations. The number of firms that have employee ownership has increased (92%), as well as those having share plans for all employees (54%) and those with stock option plans (64%).
However, significant differences can be seen between countries. A significant increase in the number of employee owners in Spain, Poland, France and the Nordic countries (Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland), contrasts with a significant decrease in Belgium, Ireland and The Netherlands.
Overall, the capitalisation held by employee owners rose back to €192 billion in 2010. However, the share held by top executives has increased, while the rest of the employees have seen their share shrink.
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