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International Handbook of Labour Market Policy and Evaluation
This major Handbook is a detailed, up-to-date guide to different national labour markets and policies to combat unemployment and their outcomesThis major new handbook is a detailed, up-to-date guide to different national labour markets and policies to combat unemployment and their outcomes. It will become established as a standard reference book – the first of its kind – providing an authoritative account of the rapidly growing field of labour market policy in a coherent and systematic framework.
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Critical Acclaim
Contributors
Contents
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This major new Handbook is a detailed, up-to-date guide to different national labour markets and policies to combat unemployment and their outcomes. It will become established as a standard reference book – the first of its kind – providing an authoritative account of the rapidly growing field of labour market policy in a coherent and systematic framework.
A group of internationally renowned researchers provides a state-of-the-art account of research on three levels; an evaluation of the methods available, an evaluation of policies and policy regimes and an evaluation of institutional frameworks and monitoring systems.
Unique features of this reference book include the presentation of a ‘Target-Oriented Approach’ to evaluating labour market policy. The Handbook is international in its approach – all chapters apply an international comparative framework in assessing contemporary developments in the field.
International Handbook of Labour Market Policy and Evaluation will be an indispensable source of reference for policymakers, social scientists and academics interested in labour market policy and policy evaluation.
A group of internationally renowned researchers provides a state-of-the-art account of research on three levels; an evaluation of the methods available, an evaluation of policies and policy regimes and an evaluation of institutional frameworks and monitoring systems.
Unique features of this reference book include the presentation of a ‘Target-Oriented Approach’ to evaluating labour market policy. The Handbook is international in its approach – all chapters apply an international comparative framework in assessing contemporary developments in the field.
International Handbook of Labour Market Policy and Evaluation will be an indispensable source of reference for policymakers, social scientists and academics interested in labour market policy and policy evaluation.
Critical Acclaim
‘The book should be of great use and interest to anyone concerned with labour market issues, and particularly so for those concerned with designing effective evaluation schemes. Further, it cannot be disputed that, as the paper version yields a price of roughly .04p per page, this book offers very good value indeed.’
– Andrew Jones, Local Economy
‘This Handbook gives comprehensive information about the different national labour markets, and charts the policies in force to combat unemployment. . . . This Handbook will help politicians as well as scholars to understand as well as improve and adjust the policy instruments that are in place. It is a thorough work, prepared to a high standard, and it will be widely used.’
– European Labour Forum
‘The book sets out to inform rather than excite and to be comprehensive rather than novel; it succeeds on both counts. Each chapter is comprehensive and thorough, containing a good deal of information and neatly summarises much of the existing literature.’
– Chris Martin, The Economic Journal
‘Practitioners may also gain valuable insights into ways to assess the appropriateness of different policy tools and policy approaches and into the requirements for systematic impact evaluation.’
– Economic Outlook and Business Review
‘A more effective labour market policy is a key factor for redressing the present unemployment situation in Europe. I am sure that this International Handbook will prove a very useful tool in the hands of labour market practitioners and policymakers, as well as scholars, in their endeavours to evaluate, improve and adapt the present range of policy instruments. For its thoroughness, timeliness and excellence of contributions, this is a fundamental reference work for the progress of research in this field.’
– Allan Larsson, European Commission, Belgium
‘. . . provides a set of specially commissioned surveys of this literature. The scope of the book is broad and so it runs to nearly a thousand pages, and includes contributions from many of the key contributors in the area. It is aimed at both academic and policy practitioner audiences.‘
– Andrew Henley, British Journal of Industrial Relations
‘Günther Schmid and his colleagues have organized a remarkably broad-gauge yet integrated volume . . . . The volume is a major contribution to both evaluation research and to effective policy-making . . . [this book] deals with numerous labour market policies and the procedures and practices that have been (and could be) applied in assessing their impacts. The policies span the full spectrum of interventions, including those targeted on special groups (e.g. the unemployed, the disabled, people needing transitional assistance), those designed to remedy private market failures (e.g. segregation, skill mismatches, and constraints on work time and hiring/firing decisions), and those designed to change the very structure of institutional arrangements (e.g. wage-bargaining systems).’
– Robert Haveman, The Robert M. La Follette Institute of Public Affairs, Wisconsin, US
‘This Handbook will help politicians as well as scholars to understand as well as improve and adjust the policy instruments that are in place. It is a thorough work, prepared to a high standard, and it will be widely used.’
– European Labour Forum
– Andrew Jones, Local Economy
‘This Handbook gives comprehensive information about the different national labour markets, and charts the policies in force to combat unemployment. . . . This Handbook will help politicians as well as scholars to understand as well as improve and adjust the policy instruments that are in place. It is a thorough work, prepared to a high standard, and it will be widely used.’
– European Labour Forum
‘The book sets out to inform rather than excite and to be comprehensive rather than novel; it succeeds on both counts. Each chapter is comprehensive and thorough, containing a good deal of information and neatly summarises much of the existing literature.’
– Chris Martin, The Economic Journal
‘Practitioners may also gain valuable insights into ways to assess the appropriateness of different policy tools and policy approaches and into the requirements for systematic impact evaluation.’
– Economic Outlook and Business Review
‘A more effective labour market policy is a key factor for redressing the present unemployment situation in Europe. I am sure that this International Handbook will prove a very useful tool in the hands of labour market practitioners and policymakers, as well as scholars, in their endeavours to evaluate, improve and adapt the present range of policy instruments. For its thoroughness, timeliness and excellence of contributions, this is a fundamental reference work for the progress of research in this field.’
– Allan Larsson, European Commission, Belgium
‘. . . provides a set of specially commissioned surveys of this literature. The scope of the book is broad and so it runs to nearly a thousand pages, and includes contributions from many of the key contributors in the area. It is aimed at both academic and policy practitioner audiences.‘
– Andrew Henley, British Journal of Industrial Relations
‘Günther Schmid and his colleagues have organized a remarkably broad-gauge yet integrated volume . . . . The volume is a major contribution to both evaluation research and to effective policy-making . . . [this book] deals with numerous labour market policies and the procedures and practices that have been (and could be) applied in assessing their impacts. The policies span the full spectrum of interventions, including those targeted on special groups (e.g. the unemployed, the disabled, people needing transitional assistance), those designed to remedy private market failures (e.g. segregation, skill mismatches, and constraints on work time and hiring/firing decisions), and those designed to change the very structure of institutional arrangements (e.g. wage-bargaining systems).’
– Robert Haveman, The Robert M. La Follette Institute of Public Affairs, Wisconsin, US
‘This Handbook will help politicians as well as scholars to understand as well as improve and adjust the policy instruments that are in place. It is a thorough work, prepared to a high standard, and it will be widely used.’
– European Labour Forum
Contributors
Contributors: E. Appelbaum, P. Auer, L. Bellmann, G. Biffl, A. Björklund, C.F. Bütchtemann, B. Casey, L. Delander, L. Delsen, V. Eichener, C. Erhel, C. Fagan, J. Gautié, B. Gazier, S. Gustafsson, J.J. Heckman, R. Jackman, T. Janoski, T. Kruppe, R.M. Lindley, F. Maier, N. Meager, S. Morel, H. Mosley, H. Niklasson, J. O’Reilly, H. Regnér, B. Reissert, R. Rogowski, J. Rubery, P. Ryan, R. Schettkat, G. Schmid, K. Schömann, J.A. Smith, A.C. Tuijnman, U. Walwei
Contents
Contents: Introduction Part I: Theory and Methodology of Labour Market Policy Evaluation 1. Theory and Methodology of Labour Market Policy Evaluation (G. Schmid, J. O’Reilly, K. Schömann) 2. Experimental and Nonexperimental Evaluation (J.J. Heckman, J.A. Smith) 3. Experimental Evaluation of European Labour Market Policy (A. Björklund, H. Regnér) 4. Longitudinal Designs in Evaluation Studies (K. Schömann) 5. Aggregate Impact Analysis (L. Bellmann, R. Jackman) 6. Cost–benefit Analysis (L. Delander, H. Niklasson) 7. Process Evaluation: Policy Formation and Implementation (G. Schmid) Part II: Evaluating Labour Market Policies in Selected Target Areas 8. Unemployment Compensation and Labour Market Transitions (G. Schmid, B. Reissert) 9. Job Opportunities for the Hard-to-place (C. Erhel, J. Gautié, B. Gazier, S. Morel) 10. The School to Work Transition (P. Ryan, C.F. Büchtemann) 11. Transition between Family Formation and Paid Employment (C. Fagan, J. Rubery) 12. Exit Options from the Labour Force (B. Casey) 13. Improving Job-matching through Placement Services (U. Walwei) 14. Occupational Segregation, Discrimination and Equal Opportunity (J. Rubbery, C. Fagan, F. Maier) 15. Life-long Learning and Skill Formation (A.C. Tuijnman, K. Schömann) 16. Form Unemployment to Self-employment: Labour Market Policies for Business Start-up (N. Meager) 17. Employment Opportunities for the Disabled (L. Delsen) 18. Immigrant Labour Integration (G. Biffl) 19. Labour Adjustment through Part-time Work (J. O’Reilly) 20. Employment Stabilization through Short-time Work (H. Mosley, T. Kruppe) 21. Legal Regulation and Flexibility of Employment Contracts (R. Rogowski, K. Schömann) 22. Employment Security and Dismissal Protection ( C.F. Büchtemann, U. Walwei) Part III: Evaluating Institutional Frameworks of Labour Market Policy 23. Explaining State Intervention to Prevent Unemployment: The Impact of Institutions on Active Labour Markt Policy Expenditures in 18 Countries (T. Janoski) 24. The Impact of Labour Market Policy on Wages, Employment and Labour Market Mismatch (L. Bellman, R. Jackman) 25. New Public Management of Further Training (G. Schmid) 26. The Importance of Wage-bargaining Institutions for Employment Performance (E. Applebaum, R. Schettkat) 27. Tax Regimes and Labour Market Performance ( S. Gustafsson) Part IV: Evaluating Policy Targets at the European Level 28. The European Social Fund: A Strategy for Generic Evaluation (R. M. Lindley) 29. European Regulation of Social Standards (J. O’Reilly, B. Reissert, V. Eichener) 30. Monitoring of Labour Market Policy in EU Member States (P. Auer, T. Kruppe) Index
