During the recent crisis, we not only observed a slowdown/negative turn in output growth rates but also a more unequal distribution of income within several MemberS tates. Increasing income inequality has been a longer term phenomenon dating back a few decades. Apart from its negative repercussions for the lives and chances of ordinary citizens, greater income inequality can also act as a drag on output growth (Ostry et al. 2014).
more information in Benchmarking Working Europe 2019 chapter 1 'Macroeconomic developments in Europe: tackling the growth, inequality and climate change challenges'