1st Edition
Labour Market and Social Protection Reforms in International Perspective Parallel or Converging Tracks?
Social protection systems and labour markets have undergone major changes in the past two decades. Welfare states are being reformed, scaled back and modernised; labour markets, at the same time, are more precarious, more feminised, more unequal, and throughout the OECD area, older. The interaction between labour markets and social protection has become increasingly crucial to the social and economic policy mix concerning unemployment, the transformation of work, the new poverty, and even demographics. Against this background, an interdisciplinary team of leading labour market and social protection experts from various OECD countries examine the multifaceted aspects of the changing relationship between social protection systems and labour markets. They identify and analyse key emerging issues, such as the link between employment and social protection financing, the adaptation of social protection systems to women's career patterns, and the development of new forms of social protection that aim at promoting employment. With practical policy guides and recommendations using case studies and comparative chapters, this will be engaging reading for policy-makers, social actors and academics alike.
Biography
Hedva Sarfati is a political scientist and analyst of comparative employment, social protection and labour relations policies. She is former Director of ILO Industrial Relations and Labour Administration Department. She publishes regularly articles in industrial relations and human resources professional journals and is currently a member of the Editorial Board of the quarterly journal Industrial Relations (Laval University, Quebec). Giuliano Bonoli is a Lecturer at the Department of Social Work and Social Policy, University of Fribourg, Switzerland. He previously worked at the University of Bath. His research has centred on social protection reform and the modernisation process of western welfare states, on which he has published several articles and chapters in edited books.
’This is a state of the art publication concerning the most pressing issue in today's social policy discourse: How to co-ordinate social protection and labour market policies. Unlike most anthologies, it is not merely a loose collection of articles but a carefully worked-through publication.’ Einar Overbye, NOVA Norwegian Social Research, Norway ’Sarfati and Bonoli have produced a timely and useful book, full of rewarding excursions into the complex issues surrounding modern efforts to design social policies that promote economic performance while maintaining a viable level of social protection. This volume is highly recommended for academics and policy makers concerned with the interaction of labour market needs and social protection reforms.’ Professor Neil Gilbert, University of California, USA ’The debate on unemployment has become increasingly complex in recent years. That complexity is reflected in the rich array of contributions to this book, focusing on the interaction between social protection and labour market performance and on different trajectories of policy reform. Policy makers and social actors will benefit greatly from its discussions of alternative and creative policy mixes...’ Martin Rhodes, European University Institute, Italy ’Anyone contributing to the sustainability of the European Social Model should start with reading this timely collection of comparative studies on the complex issue of social security in future labour markets. Prominent and dedicated European experts argue persuasively that employment and social protection systems can be mutually supportive.’ Gunther Schmid, Free University of Berlin and Social Science Centre, Germany ’The reader is initially struck by the richness of the information and analyses...This rich, synthetic book demonstrates with a steely criticism every aspect of the different thinkable strategies.’ Futuribles ’...a very good state-of-the-art description of the most pressing proble
