I live in SEE. While we did have "work books" containing our employment history they were eliminated about 7 years ago. All that is now stored electronically in a central place. And it's used as evidence of payed benefits for x amount of time, eligibility for retirement and similar things.

As someone living in Western/Northern Europe, it's not clear to me what you mean. Can you describe it a bit more?

The British government knew where I worked, through the tax system. They knew, more-or-less, where I lived, by my registration to vote (compulsory, though not well enforced as far as I know). Is that what you don't like?