In Defence Of Labour Market Institutions

Though labour market regulations have been blamed for the poor economic performance of many developing countries, the evidence on which this argument rests is weak. Through a survey of different labour market institutions in developing countries, this book reaffirms the importance of labour market institutions in this era of globalization.

Though labour market regulations have been blamed for the poor economic performance of many developing countries, the evidence on which this argument rests is weak. Rather than constraining economic development, labour market institutions, including the laws that regulate the labour market, are important for both economic growth and the well-being of the workforce. Through a survey of different labour market institutions in developing countries, this book reaffirms the importance of labour market institutions in this era of globalization.

Private sector unionism is in decline in the United States. As a result, labor advocates, community groups, nongovernmental organizations, and individuals concerned with the well-being of workers have sought to develop alternative ways to represent workers' interests. Emerging Labor Market Institutions for the Twenty-First Century provides the first in-depth assessment of how effectively labor market institutions are responding to this drastically altered landscape. This important volume provides case studies of new labor market institutions and new directions for existing institutions. The contributors examine the behavior and impact of new organizations that have formed to solve workplace problems and to bolster the position of workers. They also document how unions employ new strategies to maintain their role in the economic system. While non-union institutions are unlikely to fill the gap left by the decline of unions, the findings suggest that emerging groups and unions might together improve some dimensions of worker well-being. Emerging Labor Market Institutions is the story of workers and institutions in flux, searching for ways to represent labor in the new century.

'A defining feature of recent decades has been the rise in income inequality within many, but certainly not all, countries, and perhaps most spectacularly in the US and UK. the reigning explanation remains the orthodox story that it's all about supply and demand - the failure of education to keep up in the race with technological advances - a story in which labor market institutions, bargaining power and social norms enter either as bit players or are ignored altogether. A powerful and welcome antidote, the essays in this fine book make the case that strong institutions are not only the Building blocks of Just Societies, but can be, if well-designed, fully consistent with high employment, dynamic economies.' - David R. Howell, New School of Social Research, US

Argues that many of the rigidities that characterize European labour markets are due to the behaviour of incumbent employees (who are more numerous and better organized than the unemployed) who use political action to promote policies that enhance their employment protection and thereby increase the exclusion of the unemployed. The investigation focuses on three labour market institutions: employment protection, unemployment benefits and the minimum wage.

Examines the relationship between three of the important labour market institutions: employment protection, social protection, in particular unemployment benefits and active labour market policies and the social dialogue.

Active labor market policies (ALMPs) are found in almost all countries of the world but differ in amplitude, design, and implementation. Comprising an array of measures, ALMPs can take the form of special support for job searching, training and education for the unemployed, and various other subsidies and job creation activities. While providing a valuable overview of the nature of these policies, this book examines some of the pitfalls and challenges countries face when evaluating them. It also provides a policy framework for designing ALMPs that are permanent yet adaptable instruments to cope with changes linked to globalization. Contents Introduction Historical background of ALMPs Definition and functions of ALMPs Contribution of ALMPs to the objectives of employment creation, security in change, equity and poverty reduction Differences in the utilization of ALMPs: Developed, transition and developing countries Evaluation of ALMPs New trends in ALMPs Conclusions: A framework for the management of change Bibliography

Labor market institutions, Employment effects, Minimum wage, Employment protection legislation, German minimum-wage introduction, Labour mobility, Migration, New-Keynesian models, Search-and-Matching, Technology shocks

This book will prove a thought-provoking read for academics, researchers and students of economics _ particularly labour economics, social policy and public administration. Policy-makers and practitioners involved with labour administration at any leve

For two decades economic and social policy in most of the world has been guided by the notion that economies function best when they are fully exposed to competitive market forces. In labour market policy, this approach is reflected in the widespread emphasis on flexibility - a euphemism for the retrenchment of income support and social security, the relaxation of labour market regulations, and the enhanced power of private actors to determine the terms of the employment relationship. These strategies have had marked effects on labour market outcomes, leading to greater vulnerability and polarization - and not always in ways that enhance worker-centred flexibility. The authors offer a more balanced analysis of the functioning and effects of labour market regulation and deregulation. By questioning the underpinnings of the flexibility paradigm, and revealing its often damaging impacts (on different countries, sectors, and constituencies), they challenge the conclusion that unregulated market forces produce optimal labour market outcomes. The authors conclude with several suggestions for how labour policy could be reformulated to promote both efficiency and equity.