But low levels of labor utilization are largely due to heavier income taxes and social security contributions, as well as high social benefit levels introduced at a time when the labor force was growing rapidly and the need to replace involuntary with voluntary unemployment seemed more urgent than today. These measures will need to be revisited both to increase the supply of labor and to make public finances more sustainable.
有些人从中得到慰藉，认为欧洲人相比工作更喜欢休闲是积极的。但是，更低水平的劳动力使用主要是由于更高的税负以及缴纳更多的社会保险金，也是由于很高的社会福利水平。这种高社会福利水平是在劳动力增长迅速、用主动失业替换被动失业的需求比当今更为迫切的时期建立的。应当重新审视这些措施来提高劳动力的供应以及让公共财政更为可以持久。