Report on the implementation of the survey with employers

The DignityFIRM project aims to better understand the realities of these sectors of the economy, which are vital for the food supply chain, referred to as F2F (Farm to Fork) sectors. Particular focus is placed on migrant workers, who have played a pivotal role in these labour-intensive sectors for decades. Their importance has become more evident since the pandemic (and in the case of selected countries has been intensified by labour shortages related to the full-scale war in Ukraine). The project has been designed to be both complex and overarching, covering migration and non-migration policies, socio-economic realities at various levels, and the well-being and dignity of migrant workers. In this context, Work Package 6 (WP6) is particularly significant, as it focuses on two key areas: 1) the economic dimension of the process, and 2) employers and their employment choices. Based on the available theoretical and empirical literature, a model has been developed to conceptualise the factors responsible for the formal or informal employment of domestic and/or foreign workers (Chapter 2). This model considers cost-related conditions, market structure, and supply-side constraints. The next step was to use this model to design a survey for employers in four selected EU countries (Chapter 3), which was completed in the first half of 2025.

_