Income and Labour Market Developments and Social Outcomes in Germany and France

Author(s):  
Lucia Granelli ◽  
Balázs Pálvölgyi ◽  
Johannes Ziemendorff

This chapter focuses on France and Germany, the two largest economies of the European Union, comparing recent economic and social developments. It finds that the two economies rely on different growth models, with important social implications. Germany’s postwar economic growth model was strongly based on exports and typically proved more volatile, while gross domestic product (GDP) growth in France was more focused on domestic demand and is usually more stable while on average generating a somewhat lower growth. The flexible German labour market allowed unemployment to decrease, albeit at the expense of higher income poverty and a larger low-wage sector. In France, instead, lower income poverty and a smaller low-wage sector were accompanied by a relatively higher unemployment rate. Recently, the gap between the two growth models and the resulting differences in social outcomes has appeared to be narrowing, reflecting the slowdown in the global cycle and more institutional focus in Germany on inclusiveness and in France on flexibility.

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 910-918
Author(s):  
Lucia Svabova ◽  
◽  
Vladimir Borik ◽  
Marek Durica ◽  
Johanna Grudin ◽  
...  

Active labour market policy interventions are vide used tool of a government against unemployment. One of the most frequently used intervention for young jobseekers in Slovakia is a Contribution for Graduate practice. This measure is intended for young unemployed jobseekers as a tool of gaining first contact with the open labour market and with potential employer and gaining first work experiences. In this paper we present a qualitative survey of Graduate practice that was made as an ex-post evaluation of this intervention by its participants in Slovakia. This evaluation of the intervention was carried out at the request of the European Commission not only in Slovakia but also in several countries of the European Union. The qualitative evaluation, as a part of this rigorous intervention evaluation, provides feedback from the real intervention participants and brings some suggestions to improve the parameters and conditions of Graduate practice intervention and its realization. These improvements are useful not only for participants themselves, for companies in which young graduates are employed but also for the state budget in the form of returned or saved invested funds because of better functioning of the intervention. Based on the results of this feedback from its real participants, some parameters, conditions and details of the Graduate practice intervention have been changed and added in Slovakia.


2004 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 1850020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Hennessy ◽  
Thierry Warin

This paper addresses the question of the social policy harmonization in the European Union. In adopting a common monetary policy, Europe is faced with structural and fiscal concerns, as national growth levels differ. Another possible factor in output shocks are the levels of various social expenditures in the member countries. OECD data on the level of social program expenditures in four EU countries will be compared to fluctuations in GDP growth to identify existing relationships. Significant relationships between independent social expenditure policy and GDP growth shocks suggest structural harmonization as an improvement if Europe is to take full advantage of the common market. However, the effects of expenditure levels may be easier to identify and predict than the dynamic effects of policy change. As the effects of future policy changes are more difficult to ascertain, harmonization may not consistently appear to be a Pareto-optimum solution to asymmetric shocks.


2002 ◽  
Vol 138 (1) ◽  
pp. 148-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric J. Pentecost ◽  
John G. Sessions

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
pp. 474-496
Author(s):  
Nikos Papadakis ◽  
Maria Drakaki ◽  
Sofia Saridaki ◽  
Vassilis Dafermos

Ιn the last decade, there has been a widespread expansion of both precarious work and precarious forms of employment (such as temporary and low-qualified jobs, seasonal and part-time jobs etc.), in which a growing share of young people work. The impact of precarious work on young people is likely to be permanent, while it seems to affect (even over-determine) their life courses. Non-smooth and early transitions into labour market are very likely to worsen progressively their long-term life chances (Lodovici & Semenza, 2012: 7). Undoubtedly, the long-lasting global economic Crisis and the subsequent Recession, has heavily affected the state of play in the labour market worldwide, provoking severe modifications both in the field of employment and countries’ social cohesion. Based on the above mentioned, the paper deals with precarious work in general, while it emphasizes precarious work among youth. It initially captures, briefly, the state of play in terms of the impact of the Crisis on the widening of the phenomenon of precarious work and then it focuses on theoretical insights and critical conceptual definitions concerning precariousness in the labour market. Further, based on secondary quantitative -data analysis, it analyses the key- parameters and facets of precarious work (focusing on youth) in the European Union and, mainly, in Greece. Additionally, it briefly presents parameters of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on precariousness in Greece. Finally, the paper explores the correlation between precarious work and social vulnerability, especially among young people. The present paper is based on an ongoing Research Project. More specifically, this research is co-financed by Greece and the European Union (European Social Fund- ESF) through the Operational Programme «Human Resources Development, Education and Lifelong Learning 2014-2020» in the context of the project “Precarious Work and Youth in today’s Greece: secondary quantitative analysis, qualitative filed research and research-based policy proposals” (MIS 5048510).


Equilibrium ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michaela Stanickova

Research background: Economic crisis hit all the European Union Member States hard, with the impact of crisis varying considerably. The low growth performance in the EU has increased concerns regarding an increasing wage dispersion, income inequality at large, and social exclusion in line with poverty. Inequality should be seen as a cornerstone of both sustainable and inclusive growth under the Europe 2020 Strategy. Social inequality in the EU is a real problem, which hampers sustainable economic growth. Purpose of the article: The purpose of this study is to introduce evaluation of social development convergence and divergence trends between the EU Member States in the context of the Europe 2020 Strategy. The study gives an outline of the issues of the labour market and income disparities and poverty. Policymakers must be clear about what social objectives they are aiming to achieve, therefore special attention is paid to headline national goals of the Europe 2020 Strategy. Methods: The main task of this study is to assess social dimension and inequalities problems in the EU27 by applying Data Envelopment Analysis method, resp. time-series dynamic efficiency analysis in the form of output-oriented Malmquist Productivity Index. This study contains changes of key social equality indicators related to the Europe 2020 Strategy and compares objectives and general outlines of period 2010-2015, as well as the impact on national economics and living conditions. Findings & value added: Results contain elements of typology premises of the EU28 and point to a large diversity in inequality patterns, as the Author observes both increases and decreases in inequality at the EU level. Recent changes in social inequality have been associated with the business cycle, particularly with the accessibility of the labour market and, of course, with income inequality. Additionally, the development challenges are discussed for improvement of the socioeconomic well-being of the EU and to avoid social disparities.


Significance An examination of the factors behind the expansion indicates that outsized balance sheets will persist and will pose a number of macroeconomic risks. Impacts Slower workforce growth will pressure GDP growth, trade growth and long-term interest rates, unless productivity gains can offset this. A record number of US business deaths and births in 2020 will affect productivity and have unpredictable impacts on the economy. Lower growth makes it harder to stabilise debt-to-GDP ratios, just as pension and health costs rise as populations age in major economies.


Author(s):  
K. Voronov

Despite the crisis, the economy of the European Union remains to be the largest in the world. The economic mechanism of the EU is rather differentiated. It has a great historical experience and possesses sufficient evolutionary robustness. Currently, the former relationships between the EU and the USA undergo substantial changes and new forms emerge. For both of them the greatest challenge is presented by China which in recent decades shows the solid rates of GDP growth. Supposedly, Chines economy will become the world largest on in the new future. Under such conditions the Old World has to conduct a persistent search for new sources of its successful macroeconomic growth.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document