In 2008 the world experienced the Great Recession, a financial and economic crisis of enormous proportions and the greatest economic downturn since the 1930s. In its wake, unemployment became a key preoccupation of West European publics and politicians. This comparative study considers the policy debates surrounding unemployment in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Denmark and Switzerland since 2008. With an over-arching focus on drawing out cross-national commonalities and differences, the authors ask whether patterns of political communication vary across countries. Their analysis draws on interviews with labour market policy-makers in the six selected countries, and paints a revealing picture. Appealing to researchers in comparative politics, political communication and welfare state research, this book will also interest practitioners involved in labour market policy.

WHAT IF YOUR BOSS WAS AN ALGORITHM? The gig economy promises to revolutionise work as we know it, offering flexibility and independence instead of 9-to-5 drudgery. The potential benefits are enormous: consumers enjoy the convenience and affordability of on-demand work while micro-entrepreneurs turn to online platforms in search of their next gig, task, or ride. IS THIS THE FUTURE OF WORK? This book offers an engaging account of work in the gig economy across the world. Competing narratives abound: on-demand gigs offer entrepreneurial flexibility - or precarious work, strictly controlled by user ratings and algorithmic surveillance. Platforms' sophisticated technology is the product of disruptive innovation - whilst the underlying business model has existed for centuries. HOW CAN WE PROTECT CONSUMERS & WORKERS WITHOUT STIFLING INNOVATION? As courts and governments around the world begin to grapple with the gig economy, Humans as a Service explores the challenges of on-demand work, and explains how we can ensure decent working conditions, protect consumers, and foster innovation. Employment law plays a central role in levelling the playing field: gigs, tasks, and rides are work - and should be regulated as such.

THRIVE IN THE FUTURE OF WORK provides a journey through the realities, implications and solutions for the rapidly changing world of work we live in today. It is not trying to be the remedy for future of work success. It is a practical account of what we know so far from those who have been there - and both a guide and an invitation for you to explore what your path will be towards future of work readiness and fulfilment. The book is presented in four parts across 10 chapters. Each chapter provides a mix of facts, research, case studies, tools and prompts to help readers address the question of what they can do in practical terms to help future-proof themselves and ytheir organisations in the changing world of work. Part 1: "The Changing World of Work and the Agility Challenge" examines the shifts and trends apparent in the world of work and how they have intensified in recent years. We explore what the Future of Work means in practical terms and how can it be broken down at individual and organisational level. The case for Agility as a core capability for future of work readiness is discussed and we explore the challenges and benefits of Agility and how it can be managed. Part 2: "Future-Fit and Future-Ready" focuses on Future of Work readiness and Agility at the individual level. We look at the elements and benefits of an agile mindset - and skillset - and how these can help to proactively manage uncertainty and change with purpose and confidence. The research-based elements of personal agility are explored to demonstrate how individuals can - and already are - successfully navigating the challenges and opportunities presented by the changing world of work. Part 3: "The Future-Ready Organisation" explores the practical realities and implications of the Future of Work at the wider organisational level. We discuss the emergence of a New Employment Deal, as well its implications, challenges and opportunities for leaders, employees and for HR. We look at the future role of the leader and of HR in shaping the new world of work. Part 4: "A Call to Action for the Future" examines the emerging choices for navigating the Future of Work at the societal level, especially in relation to areas such as ESG, education and employment policy. We explore what is needed from all of us as a society to proactively create a work environment where no one is left behind and for "good work" to thrive into the future. Finally, Your Call to Action summaries the key messages from the book and outlines five practical steps readers can take in navigating their own path into the Future of Work.

Piero Ferri expertly broadens the analysis of the canonical growth cycle approach by presenting a Minsky-Harrod model, examining how the relationship between income distribution, growth and unemployment becomes increasingly complex. Exploring this new technique to generate a process of growth, based not only on history but disequilibrium, he investigates the current income distribution debate further and the challenges it faces. Written in a succinct yet comprehensive style, Piero Ferri begins by addressing the basic principles, followed by an in-depth look at growth cycle models and how the Minsky-Harrod integrated model would help to unravel the current complexities. The empirical analysis reaches insightful conclusions by justifying the existence of a variety of results and by studying the distributive loop in a dynamic context which is prone to instability. Teachers of macroeconomics and scholars will find this an invaluable read and will benefit from the practical study and results. Researchers interested in labour economics and political economy will also find this a thought-provoking book.

Looking for ways to handle the transition to a digital economy.Robots, artificial intelligence, and driverless cars are no longer things of the distant future. They are with us today and will become increasingly common in coming years, along with virtual reality and digital personal assistants. As these tools advance deeper into everyday use, they raise the question-how will they transform society, the economy, and politics? If companies need fewer workers due to automation and robotics, what happens to those who once held those jobs and don't have the skills for new jobs? And since many social benefits are delivered through jobs, how are people outside the workforce for a lengthy period of time going to earn a living and get health care and social benefits? Looking past today's headlines, political scientist and cultural observer Darrell M. West argues that society needs to rethink the concept of jobs, reconfigure the social contract, move toward a system of lifetime learning, and develop a new kind of politics that can deal with economic dislocations. With the U.S. governance system in shambles because of political polarization and hyper-partisanship, dealing creatively with the transition to a fully digital economy will vex political leaders and complicate the adoption of remedies that could ease the transition pain. It is imperative that we make major adjustments in how we think about work and the social contract in order to prevent society from spiraling out of control. This book presents a number of proposals to help people deal with the transition from an industrial to a digital economy. We must broaden the concept of employment to include volunteering and parenting and pay greater attention to the opportunities for leisure time. New forms of identity will be possible when the "job" no longer defines people's sense of personal meaning, and they engage in a broader range of activities. Workers will need help throughout their lifetimes to acquire new skills and develop new job capabilities. Political reforms will be necessary to reduce polarization and restore civility so there can be open and healthy debate about where responsibility lies for economic well-being. This book is an important contribution to a discussion about tomorrow-one that needs to take place today.

Considering technological change and linkages between sectors while differentiating across types of services, this book assesses the scope of a services-driven development model and policy directions that maximize its potential.

This book examines the long-term impact of redundancy on a workforce who lost their jobs when a Sheffield steel company closed one of its plants. The authors set the key findings of a large number of detailed interviews in the context of the discussion of economic decline, deindustrialization, redundancy, unemployment and employment policy. They also analyse current debates about the impact of recession, the role of trade unions and possible solutions to structural unemployment. "After Redundancy" provides valuable insights into the impact of recession on a workforce accustomed to relative affluence. It also records interesting shifts in attitudes towards trade unions and the Labour Party. The book is intended for second or third year undergraduates and researchers in sociology of work, sociology of Britain, industrial sociology, industrial relations, labour studies and employment policy studies.

Plunkett's Companion to the Almanac of American Employers is the perfect complement to the highly-regarded main volume of The Almanac of American Employers. This mid-size firms companion book covers employers of all types from 100 to 2,500 employees in size (while the main volume covers companies of 2,500 or more employees). No other source provides this book's easy-to-understand comparisons of growth, corporate culture, salaries, benefits, pension plans and profit sharing at mid-size corporations. The book contains profiles of highly successful companies that are of vital importance to job-seekers of all types. You'll see the financial record of each firm, along with the impact of earnings, sales and growth plans on each company's potential to provide a lucrative and lasting employment opportunity. Tens of thousands of pieces of information have been researched for each corporation and are presented in a format that can be easily understood by job seekers. Includes employer research tips, employment trends and job market statistics. You'll find a complete overview, industry analysis and market research report in one superb, value-priced package.

In the first political analysis of unemployment in a socialist country, Susan Woodward argues that the bloody conflicts that are destroying Yugoslavia stem not so much from ancient ethnic hatreds as from the political and social divisions created by a failed socialist program to prevent capitalist joblessness. Under Communism the concept of socialist unemployment was considered an oxymoron; when it appeared in postwar Yugoslavia, it was dismissed as illusory or as a transitory consequence of Yugoslavia's unorthodox experiments with worker-managed firms. In Woodward's view, however, it was only a matter of time before countries in the former Soviet bloc caught up with Yugoslavia, confronting the same unintended consequences of economic reforms required to bring socialist states into the world economy.

By 1985, Yugoslavia's unemployment rate had risen to 15 percent. How was it that a labor-oriented government managed to tolerate so clear a violation of the socialist commitment to full employment? Proposing a politically based model to explain this paradox, Woodward analyzes the ideology of economic growth, and shows that international constraints, rather than organized political pressures, defined government policy. She argues that unemployment became politically "invisible," owing to its redefinition in terms of guaranteed subsistence and political exclusion, with the result that it corrupted and ultimately dissolved the authority of all political institutions. Forced to balance domestic policies aimed at sustaining minimum standards of living and achieving productivity growth against the conflicting demands of the world economy and national security, the leadership inadvertently recreated the social relations of agrarian communities within a postindustrial society.

Following the massive overhaul of legislation on the subject of redundancy and unfair dismissal in recent years, this is a growing area of interest for any practitioner working in employment law How should your clients select for redundancy? What pool should they use? In general, how can they stay within the law and good practice, and avoid litigation? Redundancy: The Law and Practice explores redundancy law in England and Wales from a practical and analytical standpoint, comprehensively covering individual redundancy, unfair dismissal, contractual redundancy schemes, discrimination, voluntary severance arrangements, and collective redundancies Now in its fourth edition, this book has been revised to accommodate the wealth of case law that has been generated since the publication of the third edition, including core cases such as USA v Nolan [2014] (on the question when an employer should start redundancy consultation); USDAW v WW Realisation 1 Limited (for the outcome of the 'Woolworths' litigation and the meaning of establishment for collective redundancy purposes); and all critical caselaw on unfair dismissal, such as Halpin v Sandpiper Books Ltd, Fulcrum Pharma (Europe) Ltd v Bonaserra, and Mefful v Merton and Lambeth Citizens Advice Bureau. Additionally, all changes in legislation and statute law, such as the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (Amendment) Order 2013, have been updated, with additional material on sex discrimination and maternity leave, unfair dismissal, and collective redundancies - bringing this edition fully up to date With more practical tools such as precedents, checklists, and guidance, Redundancy: The Law and Practice is an invaluable resource for practitioners working in employment law

Malgré la forte croissance économique que l'Afrique subsaharienne a connue ces vingt dernières années, les niveaux de transformation économique, de réduction de la pauvreté et de développement des compétences dans cette partie du monde sont bien inférieurs à ceux des autres régions. Des investissements judicieux dans le développement des compétences, en accord avec les objectifs politiques de croissance de la productivité, d'inclusion et d'adaptabilité, peuvent aider à accélérer la transformation économique de la région subsaharienne au XXIe siècle.L'augmentation de la population en âge de travailler en Afrique subsaharienne constitue une réelle chance d'accroître la prospérité collective. Les pays de la région ont investi massivement dans le développement des compétences ; les dépenses publiques consacrées à l'éducation ont été multipliées par sept au cours des 30 dernières années, et le nombre d'enfants scolarisés est aujourd'hui plus élevé que jamais. Pourtant, les systèmes d'éducation de cette population n'ont pas donné les résultats escomptés, et ces insuffisances entravent considérablement les perspectives économiques. Dans la moitié des pays, moins de deux enfants sur trois terminent l'école primaire, et encore moins atteignent des niveaux supérieurs d'enseignement et obtiennent un diplôme. Les acquis d'apprentissage demeurent faibles, ce qui entraîne des lacunes dans les compétences cognitives de base telles que la lecture, l'écriture et le calcul, aussi bien chez les enfants, les jeunes que les adultes. Le taux d'alphabétisation de la population adulte est inférieur à 50 % dans de nombreux pays ; la part des adultes sachant lire, écrire et compter de manière fonctionnelle est encore plus faible.Une réforme du système est nécessaire pour réaliser des progrès significatifs. De multiples agences aux niveaux national et local sont impliquées dans les stratégies de développement des compétences, faisant des compétences « le problème de tous, mais la responsabilité de personne ». Les politiques et les réformes doivent permettre de renforcer les capacités des politiques qui ont fait leurs preuves et d'instaurer des mesures incitatives visant à faire converger le comportement de tous les acteurs dans la poursuite des objectifs de développement des compétences au niveau national.Le développement des compétences en Afrique subsaharienne, un exercice d'équilibre. Investir dans les compétences pour la productivité, l'inclusion et l'adaptabilité présente des données qui éclaireront les choix stratégiques des pays en matière d'investissements dans les compétences. Chaque chapitre aborde un ensemble de questions spécifiques, en s'appuyant sur une analyse originale et sur une synthèse des travaux existants pour explorer les domaines principaux : comment les compétences appropriées à chaque étape du cycle de vie sont-elles acquises et quelles défaillances du marché et des institutions affectent le développement des compétences; quels systèmes sont nécessaires pour que les individus aient accès à ces compétences, notamment les investissements consentis par les familles, les institutions du secteur privé, les écoles et autres programmes publics; comment ces systèmes peuvent-ils être renforcés; comment les personnes les plus vulnérables, à savoir celles qui ne font pas partie des systèmes standards et qui n'ont pas réussi à acquérir des compétences essentielles, peuvent-elles être soutenues. Les pays de la région seront souvent confrontés à des arbitrages difficiles qui auront des effets distributifs et influeront sur leur trajectoire de développement. Des dirigeants engagés, des efforts conjoints de réforme et des politiques bien coordonnées sont essentiels pour aborder le délicat exercice d'équilibre que représente le développement des compétences en Afrique subsaharienne.

For many years, government policy has associated young people 'being NEET' (Not in Education, Employment or Training) with educational underachievement, worklessness, generational poverty, poor health, antisocial behaviour, and reduced life expectancies. Researchers and policymakers continue to debate whether young people become NEET as a result of their own choices (i.e. their personal agency), or as a result of external factors (i.e. social, political and economic structures). Most recognise that the truth is somewhere between the two, but a clear understanding of how each interacts in causing young people to become NEET has so far been elusive, making the development of effective policy and practice problematic. Agency, Structure and the NEET Policy Problem makes headway against this problem through an original approach that draws on social cognitive theory and the lived experiences of young people themselves. Investigating the lives of NEET young people between the ages of 17-21 in London, this book elucidates the interactions between agency and structure that lead to them becoming NEET, and in doing so, offers a new perspective on the phenomenon. It offers a valuable critique of existing policy, providing both breadth and detail on the factors affecting the trajectories of young people in their transitions to continued education, training, or employment. It offers a way forward for all who are interested in developing, supporting and implementing a revitalised approach to NEET policy and practice, and a framework around which a coherent multidisciplinary approach to addressing NEET could be developed.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) account for about 97-99 per cent of total enterprises and 60-80 per cent of total employment in ASEAN countries. The participation of SMEs is thus crucial for achieving greater regional economic integration amongst ASEAN countries. SMEs are, however, often constrained by many disadvantages that limit their abilities to become importers and exporters. This is well documented in the research literature on trade and firm size. This volume contains selected ASEAN country studies on the participation of SMEs in regional economic integration based on primary microdata. This is supplemented by empirical studies on the role played by East Asian multinational enterprises in the region.

Developing Asia is forecast to expand by 6.0% in 2018, and by 5.9% in 2019. Excluding Asia's high-income newly industrialized economies, growth should reach 6.5% in 2018 and 6.4% in 2019. With oil prices edging up and robust consumer demand continuing, inflation is poised to pick up after dipping slightly last year. Consumer prices are projected to rise by 2.9% in both 2018 and 2019, or 0.6 percentage points more than in 2017. Though prospects are firm, risks are clearly to the downside. Protectionist measures and retaliation against them could undermine the recent pickup in trade growth. In response to fiscal stimulus, the United States Federal Reserve may need to raise interest rates faster than currently expected, which could diminish capital flows to developing Asia.

Bridge That Gap! How Schools Can Help Students Get Their First Job and Build the Career They Want by Angela Middleton is a thoughtful and insightful book that will be of invaluable assistance to teachers who really care about the futures of their pupils. Most education professionals will concede that there is a chasm between school careers advice and the reality for young people in gaining the skills that will help them make it in the real world of employment. This book showcases Angela's extensive knowledge to explain how a bridge can be built to cross the divide between theory and practice - and will equip teachers with the wherewithal they need to help their pupils fly.

This book aims to improve our understanding of the labor market conditions, behaviors, and outcomes of Nepalese youth. It examines these aspects in relation to both Nepal's domestic labor market and labor migration to international destinations. It seeks to present insights and implications for research and public policy.

Corporate governance is a complex idea that is often inappropriately simplified as a cookbook of recommended measures to improve financial performance. Meta studies of published research show that the supposed benign effects of these measures - independent directors or highly incentivised executives - are at best context-specific. There is thus a challenge to explain the meaning, purpose, and importance of corporate governance. This volume addresses these issues. The issues discussed centre on relationships within the firm e.g. between labour, managers, and investors, and relationships outside the firm that affect consumers or the environment. The essays in this collection are the considered selection by the editors and the contributors themselves of what are seen as some of the most weighty and urgent issues that connect the corporation and society at large in developed economies with established property rights. The essays are to be read in dialogue with each other, giving a richer understanding than could be obtained by shepherding all contributions into a single mould. Nevertheless taken together they demonstrate a shared sense of deep concern that the corporate governance agenda has been and still is on the wrong track. The contributors, individually and collectively, identify in this compendium both a research programme and a platform for change.

Lectures in Macroeconomics: A Capitalist Economy Without Unemployment provides a systematic account of the principle of aggregate demand based on the work of Polish economist Michał Kalecki, best known as one of the originators of the Keynesian Revolution in macroeconomics.The lectures demonstrate the importance of aggregate demand in determining total output and employment in the capitalist economy. They show how the investment decisions of firms affect economic growth, arguing that due to the unstable nature of investment it is important that the government has a central role in stabilizing the economy. This English translation of Kazimierz �aski's final work brings up to date fundamental concepts to give a picture of the twenty-first capitalist economy, and the obstacles that must be overcome in bringing it to full employment. It introduces the role of money and finance in the contemporary capitalist economy, as well as the central role of the labour market and wages. The analysis is illustrated with statistics and discussion around the evolution of capitalist economies and the rise of economic inequality since the Second World War, culminating in the 2008 crisis and the economic deflation affecting Europe since that crisis. Lectures in Macroeconomics remarks critically upon the neo-classical approach to economics that has brought about slow economic growth, unemployment, and inequality.

Suitable for courses addressing community economic development, non-profit organizations, co-operatives and the social economy more broadly, the second edition of Understanding the Social Economy expands on the authors' ground-breaking examination of organizations founded on a social mission - social enterprises, non-profits, co-operatives, credit unions, and community development organizations. While the role of the private and public sectors are very much in the public light, the social economy is often taken for granted. However, try to imagine a society without the many forms of organizations that form the social economy: social service organizations, arts and recreation organizations, ethno-cultural associations, social clubs, self-help groups, universities and colleges, hospitals and other healthcare providers, foundations, housing co-operatives, or credit unions. Not only do these organizations provide valuable services, but they employ many people, and purchase goods and services. They are both social and economic entities. Understanding the Social Economy illustrates how organizations in the social economy interact with the other sectors of the economy and highlights the important social infrastructure that these organizations create. The second edition contains six new case studies as well three new chapters addressing leadership and strategic management, and human resources management. A much-needed work on an important but neglected facet of organizational studies, Understanding the Social Economy continues to be an invaluable resource for the classroom and for participants working in the social sector.

The fall-out from the economic and financial crisis of 2008 had profound implications for countries across the world, leading different states to determine the best approach to mitigating its effects. In The Austerity State, a group of established and emerging scholars tackles the question of why states continue to rely on policies that, on many levels, have failed. After 2008, austerity policies were implemented in various countries, a fact the contributors link to the persistence of neoliberalism and its accepted wisdoms about crisis management. In the immediate aftermath of the 2008 collapse, governments and central banks appeared to adopt a Keynesian approach to salvaging the global economy. This perception is mistaken, the authors argue. The "austerian" analysis of the crisis is ahistorical and shifts the blame from the under-regulated private sector to public, or sovereign, debt for which public authorities are responsible. The Austerity State provides a critical examination of the accepted discourse around austerity measures and explores the reasons behind its continued prevalence in the world.

The expansion of Higher Education has been one of the most important changes to affect Western labour markets. More than a third of all British workers are now degree holders. The graduate labour market is often understood as that part of the labour market characterized by high skills and high knowledge intensity and that is perceived to be needed and used in an increasingly complex economy. Higher education is presumed to be the developer of these advanced skills. Yet with the graduatisation of the workforce, comes growing concerns about, as well as misunderstanding, of what jobs graduates occupy, how they utilise their skills, and what the role of education is within graduate work and the competition for jobs. The book examines some of the assumptions placed on graduate work, graduate jobs, graduate skills, and graduate careers. It provides valuable insights how we can understand the meaning of graduate work within a rapidly changing economic, technological, and organizational context. Based on in-depth qualitative case studies of software developers, financial analysts, laboratory scientists, and press officers, the book shows that the graduate labour market is more heterogeneous than often is understood. What counts as graduate work remains contested and under constant reinterpretation and re-negotiation. Access to work, job performance, and career advancement are not necessarily driven by university qualifications and skills associated with Higher Education. The book begins to explore how and to what extent, those workers with university degrees are defined by their educational experiences, status, and qualifications.

While overall unemployment has declined, the unemployment rate remains nearly twice as high for young people 16 to 19 years of age and nearly three times as high for those aged 20 to 24. Rates of unemployment and underemployment are nearly two to three times higher for Black and Latino youth. In Youth, Jobs, and the Future, Lynn S. Chancer, Martin Sanchez-Jankowski, and Christine Trost have gathered a cast of well-known interdisciplinary scholars to confront the persistent issues of youth unemployment and worsening socio-economic precarity in the United States. The book explores structural and cultural causes of youth unemployment, their ramifications for both native and immigrant youth, and how middle- and working-class youth across diverse races and ethnicities are affected within and outside the legal economy. A needed contribution, this book locates solutions to youth unemployment in economic and political changes as well as changes in cultural attitudes.