Active Labor Market Policies in Europe : Performance and Perspective

Kluve, Jochen; Card, David; Fertig, Michael; Gora, Marek

ISBN 10: 3540485570 / ISBN 13: 9783540485575

Published by Springer, 2007

Seller Inventory # 5011715-n

Synopsis:

Measures of Active Labor Market Policy - such as training, wage subsidies, public employment measures, and job search assistance - are widely used in European countries to combat unemployment. Little, however, is known about what each country can learn from experiences in other countries. This study provides novel insight on this important policy issue by discussing the role of the European Commission's Employment Strategy, reviewing the experiences made in European states, and giving the first ever quantitative assessment of the existing cross-country evidence, answering the question "what labor market program works for what target group under what (economic and institutional) circumstances?". Using an innovative meta-analytical approach, the authors find that rather than contextual factors such as labor market institutions or the business cycle, it is almost exclusively the program type that matters for program effectiveness: While direct employment programs in the public sector appear detrimental, wage subsidies and "Services and Sanctions" can be effective in increasing participants' employment probability.

From the Back Cover:

Measures of Active Labor Market Policy - such as training, wage subsidies, public employment measures, and job search assistance - are widely used in European countries to combat unemployment.

Little, however, is known about what each country can learn from experiences in other countries.

This study provides novel insight on this important policy issue by

- discussing the role of the European Commission's Employment Strategy

-  reviewing the experiences made in European states

-  and giving the first ever quantitative

assessment of the existing cross-country evidence, answering the question "what labor market program works for what target group under what (economic and institutional) circumstances?".

Using an innovative meta-analytical approach, the authors find that rather than contextual factors such as labor market institutions or the business cycle, it is almost exclusively the program type that matters for program effectiveness: While direct employment programs in the public sector appear detrimental, wage subsidies and "Services and Sanctions" can be effective in increasing participants' employment probability.

Bibliographic Details

Title: Active Labor Market Policies in Europe : ...
Publisher: Springer
Publication Date: 2007
Binding: Hardcover
Condition: New