"The proposed research will be conducted by Dr. Gabriel Burdín (the applicant) who obtained his PhD at the University of Siena (Italy) while developing a successful early research career focused on the economics of worker-managed firms. He will be hosted by the centre for Economics Research on Governance and Organization (ERGO) at Leeds University Business School (UK). The scientist in charge is Prof. Virginie Pérotin, a leading international expert on the economics of employee participation. The main objective of the fellowship is to advance the applicant’s career to a level of international leadership by broadening his field of expertise and involving him in an active network of preeminent European and US researchers. The applicant will gain an extensive and multidisciplinary knowledge of worker involvement in general and perform high-quality econometric analysis using the best available sources of microdata in Europe. The fellow will also be trained in complementary skills such as academic leadership and project management. The research will examine whether greater employee involvement in decisions at the enterprise level is associated with more job preservation under recessionary conditions in Europe. It addresses a major current concern of European policy-makers, social partners and citizens that has not been investigated from this angle. Planned for 24 months, the research will provide rigorous statistical evidence on the employment effects of forms of employee involvement that have been actively supported by the European Union but vary widely both across and within Member States."