This innovative study reviews the remarkable economic and labor market recovery made by four small European countries: Austria, Denmark, Ireland, and the Netherlands. It analyzes their success and highlights the specific factors responsible, in particular the promotion of social dialogue and the institution of critical macroeconomic and labor market policies. While assessing the progress and examining the remaining problems in these four countries, the book compares their progress with that of other European Union countries and examines how similar policies and action could help combat unemployment and make progress towards full employment. The study presents a detailed comparative analysis of the labor markets of the four countries. It analyzes employment and unemployment developments in detail, covering gender gaps, the sectoral distribution of employment, and the shares of people which are dependent on social transfers. It shows the employment intensity of economic growth and gives readers a substantial, broad overview of the economic and labor market situation in each country. Finally, the book makes relevant policy recommendations for promoting further growth and social progress in these countries, as well as others across Europe.

The book is without doubt a must-read reflection on the notion of full employment and a source of inspiration for the establishing of the knowledge-based economy that is such an aspiration for Europeans. Thomas Bauwens, Agence Europe Every book by Günther Schmid is an event. This one illuminates the current European policy debate on flexicurity . It gives fresh analyses of the comparative employment performances of the EU and the USA, and proposes a path-breaking framework for understanding and improving them. Pragmatic and provocative, Schmid s contribution should be a must for researchers, but also for HR managers, social partners representatives and policymakers interested in the present and future of work and employment. Bernard Gazier, University Paris 1 and a Member of the Institut Universitaire de France Transitional Labour Markets (TLM) defined as legitimate, negotiated and politically supported sets of various employment options in critical events over the life course are an essential ingredient of modern full employment strategies. After assessing the European Employment Strategy, this book offers a detailed comparative analysis of employment performance for selected European member states and the United States. It suggests that successful employment systems arise from a new paradigm of flexibility and security ( flexicurity ) the balance of which varies according to countries institutional paths. Whilst there is no best practice , TLM theory does provide normative and analytical principles that can be generalised for various institutional settings. The book also provides good practice examples for managing critical transitions over the life course from education to employment, from one job to another, from unemployment to employment, from private activities to gainful work and from employment to retirement and develops the contours for extending unemployment insurance to work life insurance. With a fresh and new approach to the question of full employment in modern society, this book will appeal to academic scholars interested in labour market and employment policies, and policy decision makers at local, regional, national and European levels.

Published in 1999, Working Europe: Reshaping European employment systems offers a fresh analysis of recent changes in labour markets and the restructuring of welfare states. The analyzes presented in the articles not only focus on labour market changes, but take up the important issues of: * How labour markets have been regulated and directed * How the various social security systems offered by the welfare state are related to the questions of labour markets and employment systems * How efficient labour market policies are in reducing unemployment * How employment is locally created and initiated * How the gender system is related to employment systems. This book is the first to offer a full picture of the restructuring of the employment systems and the complex relationship between employment, the welfare state and concepts of work.

Focusing on the perspectives of policy-makers, the book's purpose is to closely examine the factors that make for successful/unsuccessful labor market related policy reforms. The aim is to reveal the political aspects, namely the chances, challenges and impediments to designing labor market reforms and to establish the conditions under which successful labor market reforms can be advocated, adopted and implemented (process). The work includes exclusive interviews with twelve former European prime ministers about the labour market reforms they initiated in their respective countries: Wolfgang Schüssel Anders Fogh Rasmussen Andrus Ansip François Fillon Gerhard Schröder Georgios Papandreou Mario Monti Jan Peter Balkenende Jerzy Buzek Iveta Radicová Luis Rodríguez Zapatero Tony Blair