Labour market policies in the era of pervasive austerity : a European perspective / edited by Sotiria Theodoropoulou.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Theodoropoulou, Sotiria, editor.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Labor market--European Union countries.

Labor market.

European Union countries.

Physical Description:

xix, 378 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm

Place of Publication:

Bristol, UK : Policy Press, 2018.

Summary:

This book investigates the changing patterns of labour market and unemployment policies in EU member states during the period since fiscal austerity took hold in 2010 during the deepest postwar recession in Europe. Looking at the big European picture, do we see a convergence or a divergence in labour market and unemployment policy trends and outputs? Has labour market insecurity increased or decreased and can these changes be associated with the observed changes in labour market policies and macroeconomic conditions? Written by leading experts in the field, the book provides detailed national case studies from across the EU, which span labour market regimes and intensities of fiscal pressures to explore whether, and if so how, retrenchment or expansion have taken place across different types of labour market policies and how these changes have been distributed across the well-protected and the less well-protected labour market populations. Book jacket.

Contents:

1 Labour market policies in the era of European pervasive austerity: a review / Sotiria Theodoropoulou Theodoropoulou, Sotiria 1

Introduction 1

New approaches to labour market policies under the pressures of 'permanent austerity' and the emergence of 'new' social risks 2

Blame avoidance, credit claiming and patterns of policy change 4

New policy agendas 5

Is this time different? 6

Empirical approach and organisation of the book 8

2 Structural reforms in Europe: a comparative overview / Chiara Agostini Agostini, Chiara, David Natali Natali, David 15

Introduction 15

Socio-economic reforms in Europe: common path or different strategies? 16

Structural reforms in the European Union: some conceptual clarification 18

Structural reform trends: a cluster-by-cluster overview 20

Concluding remarks 33

Appendix 38

3 Income support policies and labour market reforms under austerity in Greece / Manos Matsaganis Matsaganis, Manos 43

Introduction 43

Income support 45

Active labour market policies 50

Employment protection legislation 56

Conclusion 60

Appendix 65

4 The Italian labour market policy reforms and the economic crisis: coming towards the end of Italian exceptionalism? / Patrik Vesan Vesan, Patrik, Emmanuele Pavoli Pavoli, Emmanuele 69

Introduction 69

Main aspects of the Italian labour market before and since the onset of the crisis 70

Changes in the traditional model: from the mid-1990s until the crisis 73

Towards a new institutional landscape: the 'long jump' of labour market policy reforms during the economic crisis 75

A fragile and still incomplete path towards a new labour market policy regime 84

5 French employment market policies: dualisation and destabilisation / Hélène Caune Caune, Hélène, Sotiria Theodoropoulou Theodoropoulou, Sotiria 91

Introduction 91

Macroeconomic and labour market background 92

Labour market policies prior to the crisis: the gradual shift towards dualisation 96

Labour market policies since 2009: cyclical measures to support young people and flexibilisation reforms 99

Conclusion: France under austerity and the ambiguous attempt to tackle dualisation 108

6 The German exception: welfare protectionism instead of retrenchment / Werner Eichhorst Eichhorst, Werner, Anke Hassel Hassel, Anke 115

Introduction 115

Welfare reforms during the 2000s 117

Germany during the crisis 120

Welfare reforms since 2010: re-regulation rather than retrenchment policies 125

Conclusion 137

7 The Netherlands and the crisis: from activation to 'deficiency compensation' / Marcel Hoogenboom Hoogenboom, Marcel 141

Introduction 141

The consequences of the crisis and early policy reactions 142

Reform of the Dutch unemployment provision system and active labour market policies up to the crisis (1980s-2008) 146

Emergency measures and reform plans (2008-10) 153

The politics of reform (2010-present) 156

Conclusion 161

8 Dualising the Swedish model: insiders and outsiders and labour market policy reform in Sweden: an overview / Johan Bo Davidsson Davidsson, Johan Bo 169

Introduction 169

Labour market policy reform from the 1990s and onwards 170

Recent developments: labour market policy and economic crisis 189

Conclusion 190

9 No longer 'fit for purpose'? Consolidation and catch-up in Irish labour market policy / Fiona Dukelow Dukelow, Fiona 197

Introduction 197

Setting the context: the economic crisis and its consequences for labour market policy 198

Mapping key changes in labour market policy 202

Concluding remarks 219

10 Retrenchment, conditionality and flexibility - UK labour market policies in the era of austerity / Elke Heins Heins, Elke, Hayley Bennett Bennett, Hayley 225

Introduction 225

The UK crisis context 226

Unemployment benefits: Jobseeker's Allowance 228

Employment protection legislation 230

Active labour market policies 233

Training and human capital formation 235

Needs-based social protection for the unemployed 239

Discussion 240

Conclusion 244

11 Czechia: political experimentation or incremental reforms? / Tomáš Sirovátka Sirovátka, Tomáš 253

Introduction 253

Economic development during the crisis and related European Union regulations 255

Labour market policies 256

Minimum income protection and activation of long-term unemployed and social assistance recipients 264

Politics of the reforms in labour market-related policies 267

Conclusion 270

Appendix 274

12 Slovakia: perpetual austerity and growing emphasis on activation / Stefan Domonkos Domonkos, Stefan 277

Introduction 277

Macroeconomic and macro-institutional context 278

Labour market policies during the economic transition and beyond 283

Conclusions: assessing the impact of EU austerity on labour market policies 298

13 Slovenian labour market policies under austerity: narrowing the gap between the well- and the less well-protected in the labour market? / Miroljub Ignjatovic Ignjatovic, Miroljub, Mašca Filipovic Hrast Hrast, Mašca Filipovic 309

Introduction 309

Context and policy changes up to 2010 310

Labour market policy developments and outcomes since 2010 316

Conclusion 329

Appendix 333

14 Conclusions / Sotiria Theodoropoulou Theodoropoulou, Sotiria 337

Introduction 337

Changes in labour market policies 338

Increasing and divergent labour market insecurity 354

Concluding remarks 358.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

1447335864

9781447335863

OCLC:

1000318185