Government Policies and Employers' Attitudes Towards Long-term Unemployed People in Northern Ireland

1998 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 447-470 ◽  
Author(s):  
MAURA SHEEHAN ◽  
MIKE TOMLINSON

The article discusses government policies towards unemployed people in the context of the development of ‘fair employment’ policy in Northern Ireland. It presents results from a survey of long-term unemployed people in West Belfast which challenge the direction and content of existing training and employment schemes, and their capacity to address inequalities in unemployment between Catholics and Protestants. The article argues that current supply side labour market policies are having limited impact in Northern Ireland and goes on to explore policies to influence labour demand. On the basis of interviews with employers, a number of policies are advocated, including giving priority to recruitment of long-term unemployed people in areas of high unemployment by means of making grant aid conditional.

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1973
Author(s):  
Salwaty Jamaludin ◽  
Rusmawati Said ◽  
Normaz Wana Ismail ◽  
Norashidah Mohamed Nor

Graduate unemployment exhibits a clear increasing global trend, and Malaysia is no exception. The unemployment rate among graduates is witnessing a considerable upsurge, growing from 43,800 in 2000 (15% of total unemployed) to more than 175,500 in 2017 (35%). Numerous programmes have been implemented in order to secure jobs for the unemployed in the labour market; however, the number of unemployed graduates keeps on increasing. It is significant to recognise the main reason behind this issue to tackle the risk of long-term unemployment, specifically from the supply side. Using the Relative Importance Index (RII), this study investigated 402 respondents at selected job fairs to identify the cause of their difficulty in entering the labour market. The findings revealed that the unemployed people believe that the principal cause of their unemployment is the lack of suitable jobs for them in the market. This circumstance sends a signal of asymmetric information between demand and supply in the labour market, especially to young graduates.


2020 ◽  
Vol 69 (12) ◽  
pp. 797-824
Author(s):  
Matthias Knuth

Zusammenfassung Mit Beginn des Jahres 2019 wurde in Deutschland ein neues Instrument der arbeitsmarktpolitisch geförderten Beschäftigung für Langzeitarbeitslose eingeführt. Die „Teilhabe am Arbeitsmarkt“ steht in der Tradition eines 2008 eingeleiteten Paradigmenwechsels: Statt die Förderung auf Arbeiten zu beschränken, die „zusätzlich“ und „wettbewerbsneutral“ sind und im „öffentlichen Interesse“ liegen, kann der Lohnkostenzuschuss von jedem Arbeitgeber und für jede Art von Tätigkeiten in Anspruch genommen werden. Dieser Paradigmenwechsel, von dem man sich bessere Chancen des Übergangs in ungeförderte Beschäftigung verspricht, war lange umstritten und wurde von Vielen nicht verstanden. Es ist deshalb erstaunlich, dass er durch die Irrungen und Wirrungen zweier Instrumentenreformen erhalten blieb. Der Beitrag folgt diesem Prozess und zeichnet die Entwicklung der Positionen verschiedener Akteure nach. Abstract: Roller Coasting Towards a “Socially Inclusive Labour Market”. On the Background of Recent Legislation for the “Creation of New Opportunities for Long-Term Unemployed People on the Labour Market in General and on the Socially Inclusive Labour Market” As of 2019, Germany introduced a new instrument of direct job creation for long-term unemployed people. Called “Social participation through labour market participation”, the new instrument preserves the tradition of a paradigm shift initiated in 2008: Instead of restricting direct job creation to activities that are “additional”, “in the public interest” and “neutral in terms of effect on competition”, the wage subsidy can be used by any employer for any kind of activity. This is expected to provide better chances of transition into unsubsidized employment. This paradigm shift has for long remained contested or not properly understood by many. It is therefore astonishing that it survived the trials and tribulations of two rounds of instrument reform. The article tracks this process and delineates how the standpoints of various actors evolved.


1999 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Frýdmanová ◽  
Eva Zamrazilová

Czech labour market has been getting closer to standard labour market, notable growth of long-term unemployment can therefore be expected in the years to come. The level of long-term unemployment is still much lower in comparison with market economies, so that wide space still exists to stop massive growth of long-term unemployment. <P>Reviewing the West European experience shows that active employment policies can be quite helpful to cope with the problem of long-term unemployment and its social impacts. National Employment Plan declares more intensive implementation of active employment policy, its financial possibilities being, however, rather limited. Some structural problems of Czech labour market could limit effectiveness of this Plan as well.


2011 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 977-1002 ◽  
Author(s):  
CHRISTINA WUEBBEKE

ABSTRACTIn several European countries, older unemployed people, after reaching a certain age, are entitled to unemployment benefit payments without having to seek new employment. The coexistence of this exemption clause and of reforms aimed at containing early retirement in the respective countries reflects a conflict of political aims – on the one hand, between an efficient labour-market policy at a time of high unemployment, and on the other hand, the goal of the comprehensive activation and labour-market integration of older workers as a response to demographic change. This paper deals with the reasons for the transfer of older long-term unemployed people on to ‘facilitated benefits’ for labour-market withdrawal in Germany. The empirical analysis shows that low or no propensity to work was rarely the motive for leaving the labour market; in particular, those anticipating a low retirement income actually wanted to be re-employed. The vast majority gave three reasons for the decision to retire: an inability to cope with requirements of available jobs; a lack of job opportunities; and an absence of proper support from the public employment agency. Thus the withdrawal of older long-term unemployed people into pre-retirement cannot be attributed to a utility-maximising decision in favour of leisure and against gainful employment, but is the primary result of the scarce re-employment prospects.


2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 17-34
Author(s):  
Ewa Flaszyńska

The COVID-19 pandemic has not significantly affected the increase in unemployment, including the change in the structure of long-term unemployment. Long-term unemployment increases with some delay after the recession. This article analyses the changes in the situation of long-term unemployed people in Poland before and during the COVID-2019 pandemic, presents actions taken at that time by employment and social services, and presents recommendations for the future, considering information collected from employees of poviat labour offices. In Poland, the reasons for the persistence of a relatively high level of long-term unemployment in general may include the following factors: registration in labour offices of people who, mainly for health reasons, are not ready to participate in processes of restoring the ability to work, a limited amount of funds allocated to activation of the unemployed activities and, finally, the lack of mechanisms rewarding the public employment services (PES) for bringing the long-term unemployed back to the labour market.


2009 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
ANGELA RAUCH ◽  
JOHANNA DORNETTE

AbstractThe recent German welfare state reform with the introduction of Social Code II has created a complex situation for the labour market integration of long-term unemployed people with disabilities. A range of social laws with differing underlying principles is now applicable. In this article, we examine the effects that the implementation of this social code has on long-term unemployed people with disabilities. We show that their integration patterns changed. This is due to the building of new institutions responsible for labour market integration, followed by a temporary destabilisation of work routines at the operational level. Additionally, more persistent consequences occur because the inconsistencies of the relevant laws are creating an area of conflict, which is increasing the risk of marginalising people with disabilities in terms of labour market integration.


2003 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 159-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin Lindsay ◽  
Garry Sturgeon

This paper examines locally developed policy responses to long-term unemployment in the city of Edinburgh: a labour market characterised by relatively lowunemployment and generally high levels of demand. Drawing upon in-depth interviews with 115 long-term unemployed people residing in the city, the paper first analyses the complex combination of barriers to work faced by members of this client group. Two recent labour market initiatives, developed by the local authority in partnership with other public and third sector agencies and (in one case) major employers, are then discussed. It is suggested that this locally focused, partnership-based approach may provide a useful model for local policy responses to long-term unemployment, particularly in buoyant labour markets.


2021 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-69
Author(s):  
Laura Južnik Rotar

Youth unemployment is of paramount concern for the European Union. Young people are facing potentially slow and difficult transitions into stable jobs. What optimally supports young people on the labour market poses a challenging question for economic policy makers. Active labour market policies can be beneficial to young unemployed people. The aim of active labour market policy is to improve employability of the unemployed. The consequences of an overly generous welfare state can be a reduction in motivation to work. The effectiveness of employment programmes is therefore a crucial step in the process. This paper aims to estimate the treatment effect of subsidized employment programmes on young Dutch unemployed people using difference in differences propensity score matching. We test whether the effects of subsidized employment programmes for young Dutch unemployed people are positive and strong in both the short and long term on the probability of re-employment and on the probability of participation in the regular educational system in comparison with the outcome produced in the event that an individual would continue seeking employment as an unemployed person. The probability of re-employment in short-term circumstances is positive, but small. Whereas with long-term examples (two years after the programme start) the probability is negative. Alternatively, the probability of participation in regular educational systems is positive in the short-term as well as in the long-term, but evidently decreases in the long-term. Welfare reforms undertaken in the Netherlands are directed towards enhancing efficiency. The role of social partners in social security administrations is reduced and the reforms are intended to promote reintegration of people who are out of work. There is a general agreement that the Netherlands is going in the right direction by giving priority to work and study over benefits, as it has become evident that generous social benefits make employment policies inefficient.


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