Presents an analysis of the unemployment effects of employment flexibility in the UK regions over the period between 1985 and 2004.

Many employed men and women now hold self-employed, part-time or temporary jobs. Such jobs have been increasing since the 1970s. This book examines the implications for employers, individuals and households of this development. The lack of fringe benefits, job security and employment rights for these flexible jobs are described as well as the effects on the mental health of individuals. The view that flexible jobs are necessary for an efficient economy is questioned. Britain is relatively unique in Europe in promoting low-quality flexible jobs which fail to use the skills of its workforce.

Persistent high employment and growing labour market inequality have become entrenched features of many European countries. This edited collection of papers focuses on the regional and local dimensions of these problems across the European union as a whole and, more particularly, in the UK. In the addressing the contemporary landscape of unemployment, social exclusion and public policy the contributors highlight several key themes, including: How the process of unemployment and social exclusion have an important local level operation. The increasing gender dimension and counts of unemployment to provide effective guides to the true scale of joblessness The need for more local-focused policy interventions to help reduce the problems of unemployment, employment insecurity and low incomes that now characterise many of the advanced countries.

This fascinating book presents an in-depth study of the particular combination of unemployment insurance, employment protection and active labour market policies prevalent in seven European countries. Currently, European governments are being challenged to find an optimal social policy strategy that fosters 'flexicurity , whereby a flexible, well-functioning labour market is achieved, while protection for workers is maintained. The contributors explore the formal laws and regulations, as well as the administration and implementation of social policy, paying special attention to the role of the social partners. A detailed country comparison shows that the combination of social policy instruments is important to labour market performance, but that multiple optimal mixes already appear to exist. The Labour Market Triangle will prove invaluable to academics in the field of policy research, including economists, sociologists and political scientists. Policy advisers and practitioners in the field of social policy, as well as representatives of trade unions, employers associations and political parties will find this multidisciplinary book of great interest.

This book brings together up-to-date findings on the regional dimensions of European labour markets. It provides a conceptual and empirical study of the interactions between the European economy and its regions, paying particular attention to the issue of the transition of Central and Eastern European countries to a market economy. The topics analysed include: the structure of the shocks affecting employment (regional, industrial, national), the relationships between labour market efficiency and the regional distribution of unemployment, wage flexibility in EU member countries or in their regions and the role of active labour market policies in affecting the regional distribution of employment and unemployment.

The early 1990s witnessed a resurgence of mass unemployment, with altogether new patterns across regions, occupations and industries. This book considers the new unemployment and labour market conditions, and relates them to the issues and the options for public policy on unemployment and welfare. The book contains contributions from a wide variety of perspectives - economics, sociology, social history, and social policy analysis. Arising from a conference jointly sponsored by the Employment Service and the Policy Studies Institute, it includes the results of much new research and is an up-to-date source on the main current debates.