a column by Eric Golson for VOX: CEPR’s Policy Portal
Neutrality has long been viewed as impartiality in war.
This column, part of the Vox debate on World War II, asserts that neutral states in the war were realist in approaching their defence to ensure their survival. Neutrals such as Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland maintained independence by offering economic concessions to the belligerents to make up for their relative military weakness.
Economic concessions took the form of merchandise trade, services, labour, and capital flows. Depending on their position and the changing fortunes of war, neutral countries could also extract concessions from the belligerents, if their situation permitted.
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Showing posts with label Sweden. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sweden. Show all posts
Friday, 15 November 2019
Friday, 1 November 2019
More power to the people: Electricity adoption, technological change and social conflict
a column by Jakob Molinder, Tobias Karlsson and Kerstin Enflo for VOX: CEPR’s Policy Portal
History has shown that new technology can disrupt societies, and current developments in automation have raised anxious speculation on what might happen if stable middle-class jobs are taken over by machines.
This column analyses the impact of technological change on labour markets and social protests, taking the case of the adoption of electricity in early 20th century Sweden. It finds that electrification did increase the incidence of local strikes, but that disputes were associated with workers demanding higher wages and better working conditions rather than attempting to block innovation.
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History has shown that new technology can disrupt societies, and current developments in automation have raised anxious speculation on what might happen if stable middle-class jobs are taken over by machines.
This column analyses the impact of technological change on labour markets and social protests, taking the case of the adoption of electricity in early 20th century Sweden. It finds that electrification did increase the incidence of local strikes, but that disputes were associated with workers demanding higher wages and better working conditions rather than attempting to block innovation.
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Friday, 21 June 2019
The green state and industrial decarbonisation
an article by Roger Hildingsson and Jamil Khan (Lund University, Sweden) and Annica Kronsell (University of Gothenburg, Sweden) published in Environmental Politics Volume 28 Issue 5 (2019)
Abstract
The large share of carbon emitted by energy-intensive industries in the extraction and processing of basic materials must be limited to decarbonise society and the economy. Ways in which the state can govern industrial decarbonisation and contributes to green state theory are explored by addressing a largely ignored issue: the green state’s industrial relations and its role in industrial governance.
With insights from a Swedish case study, the tension between the state’s economic imperative and ecological concerns in greening industry are shown to persist. However, as the energy-intensive industry’s previously privileged position in the economy is weakening, industry is opened to decarbonisation strategies.
While the case exposes a number of governance challenges, it also suggests potential areas where the state can pursue decarbonisation in energy-intensive industry and points the way to an active role of the green state in governing industrial decarbonisation and greening industry.
Full text (PDF 21pp)
Abstract
The large share of carbon emitted by energy-intensive industries in the extraction and processing of basic materials must be limited to decarbonise society and the economy. Ways in which the state can govern industrial decarbonisation and contributes to green state theory are explored by addressing a largely ignored issue: the green state’s industrial relations and its role in industrial governance.
With insights from a Swedish case study, the tension between the state’s economic imperative and ecological concerns in greening industry are shown to persist. However, as the energy-intensive industry’s previously privileged position in the economy is weakening, industry is opened to decarbonisation strategies.
While the case exposes a number of governance challenges, it also suggests potential areas where the state can pursue decarbonisation in energy-intensive industry and points the way to an active role of the green state in governing industrial decarbonisation and greening industry.
Full text (PDF 21pp)
Friday, 15 March 2019
Work conditions and financial difficulties in post-crisis Europe: Utility versus quality of working life
an article by Helena Lopes and Sérgio Lagoa (University Institute of Lisbon, Portugal) and Ana C Santos (University of Coimbra, Portugal) published in The Economic and Labour Relations Review Volume 30 Issue 1 (March 2019)
Abstract
This article critically examines the relation between work and utility and challenges the mainstream economic view of well-being as a hedonic state for which work is a less pleasurable trade-off.
It proposes a conception of work as a potential source of eudaimonic well-being, providing meaning and contributing to human flourishing and self-realisation.
Based on micro-level data, the article shows the relevance of distinguishing between hedonic and eudaimonic well-being by way of comparing the effects of increased financial difficulties and deteriorated work conditions on these two types of well-being in five European Union countries – Germany, Poland, Portugal, Sweden and the UK – in the post global financial crisis years between 2009 and 2014.
The article concludes by underlining the political importance of addressing aspects pertaining to the quality of working life and of creating jobs that serve to improve the eudaimonic well-being of citizens.
JEL Classification: I31, J28, J81
Abstract
This article critically examines the relation between work and utility and challenges the mainstream economic view of well-being as a hedonic state for which work is a less pleasurable trade-off.
It proposes a conception of work as a potential source of eudaimonic well-being, providing meaning and contributing to human flourishing and self-realisation.
Based on micro-level data, the article shows the relevance of distinguishing between hedonic and eudaimonic well-being by way of comparing the effects of increased financial difficulties and deteriorated work conditions on these two types of well-being in five European Union countries – Germany, Poland, Portugal, Sweden and the UK – in the post global financial crisis years between 2009 and 2014.
The article concludes by underlining the political importance of addressing aspects pertaining to the quality of working life and of creating jobs that serve to improve the eudaimonic well-being of citizens.
JEL Classification: I31, J28, J81
Tuesday, 8 January 2019
Urban planning and town foundations
a column by Alexandra L. Cermeño and Kerstin Enflo for VOX: CEPR’s Policy Portal
Urban growth is crucial for modernisation, and the wave of new towns in China since the 1980s is one example of a strategy employed by policymakers to encourage the process.
This column analyses the long-run success of a town foundation policy in Sweden between 1570 and 1810. While the ‘artificially’ created towns failed to grow in the short term, they eventually began to grow and thrive, and today are as resilient as their medieval counterparts.
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Urban growth is crucial for modernisation, and the wave of new towns in China since the 1980s is one example of a strategy employed by policymakers to encourage the process.
This column analyses the long-run success of a town foundation policy in Sweden between 1570 and 1810. While the ‘artificially’ created towns failed to grow in the short term, they eventually began to grow and thrive, and today are as resilient as their medieval counterparts.
Continue reading
Friday, 19 October 2018
Subsidising long-term care: Lessons from subsidy expansions and cuts
a column by Joan Costa-i-Fon for VOX: CEPR’s Policy Portal
Many European countries are revisiting how best to finance long-term care, balancing financial sustainability and the economic welfare of households.
Using examples of Spain and Scotland, this paper demonstrates that an expansion of public funding for long-term care has an effect on caregiving choices, household finances, and hospital care. Unconditional or cash subsidies may entail a ‘caregiving moral hazard’, but both cash and care subsidies can bring savings to the health system by reducing the frequency and intensity of hospitalisation.
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Many European countries are revisiting how best to finance long-term care, balancing financial sustainability and the economic welfare of households.
Using examples of Spain and Scotland, this paper demonstrates that an expansion of public funding for long-term care has an effect on caregiving choices, household finances, and hospital care. Unconditional or cash subsidies may entail a ‘caregiving moral hazard’, but both cash and care subsidies can bring savings to the health system by reducing the frequency and intensity of hospitalisation.
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Tuesday, 2 October 2018
Strikes and local politics
a column by Jakob Molinder, Kerstin Enflo and Tobias Karlsson for VoX: CEPR’s Policy Portal
Conflicts in the labour market are detrimental to economic growth and welfare. Sweden was among the countries with the highest incidents of industrial disputes in the 1920s, but experienced declining levels from the 1930s onward. Using Swedish data from 1919 to 1938, this column shows that towns with both powerful unions and strong Social Democratic presence experienced labour market peace. The results point toward the importance of labour market peace for strategic political reasons, rather than to politicians offering tangible concessions via municipal governmental power.
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Conflicts in the labour market are detrimental to economic growth and welfare. Sweden was among the countries with the highest incidents of industrial disputes in the 1920s, but experienced declining levels from the 1930s onward. Using Swedish data from 1919 to 1938, this column shows that towns with both powerful unions and strong Social Democratic presence experienced labour market peace. The results point toward the importance of labour market peace for strategic political reasons, rather than to politicians offering tangible concessions via municipal governmental power.
Continue reading
Tuesday, 6 June 2017
Age at immigration matters for labor market integration – the Swedish example
an article by Bjorn Anders Gustafsson (University of Gothenburg, Sweden; Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA), Bonn, Germany) and Hanna Mac Innes and Torun Österberg (University of Gothenburg, Sweden) published in IZA Journal of Development and Migration Volume 7 Issue 1 (2017)
Abstract
This paper analyses how age at immigration to Sweden and getting a first foothold in the labor market is related. We estimate hazard rate models using registry data on all persons who arrived in each of the years 1990, 1994, 1998, and 2002.
The results show that the number of years taken to get a foothold in the Swedish labor market increases rapidly by age among immigrants from middle- and low-income countries aged 40+.
Most individuals who are born in middle- or low-income countries who immigrate after age 50 never get a foothold in the Swedish labor market.
JEL classification: J15, J21, J61
Full text (PDF)
Abstract
This paper analyses how age at immigration to Sweden and getting a first foothold in the labor market is related. We estimate hazard rate models using registry data on all persons who arrived in each of the years 1990, 1994, 1998, and 2002.
The results show that the number of years taken to get a foothold in the Swedish labor market increases rapidly by age among immigrants from middle- and low-income countries aged 40+.
Most individuals who are born in middle- or low-income countries who immigrate after age 50 never get a foothold in the Swedish labor market.
JEL classification: J15, J21, J61
Full text (PDF)
Wednesday, 1 March 2017
Empowering the People: Public Responses to Welfare Policy Change
an article by Anna Bendz (University of Gothenburg, Sweden) published in Social Policy & Administration: an international journal of policy and practice Volume 51 Issue 1 (January 2017)
Abstract
How and when does welfare policy contribute to shape public opinion?
This article departs from the policy feedback research tradition and seeks to contribute to the understanding of how policy influences public opinion (public responsiveness). The argument here suggests that personal experiences in terms of empowerment condition the dynamics between policy and opinion.
The empirical case concerns the implementation of a consumer's choice model in Swedish primary health care, which resulted an intended increase in private health care centres. In this case, empowerment is assumed to be enhanced by increased exit options and freedom of choice. The specific question in the analysis is whether citizens who have empowering experiences, as a consequence of the reform, are more likely to be positive towards further privatization of welfare services.
The results show few effects in general, but there seems to be a correlation between the experience of exiting and more positive attitudes towards privatization.
Full text (PDF 19pp)
Abstract
How and when does welfare policy contribute to shape public opinion?
This article departs from the policy feedback research tradition and seeks to contribute to the understanding of how policy influences public opinion (public responsiveness). The argument here suggests that personal experiences in terms of empowerment condition the dynamics between policy and opinion.
The empirical case concerns the implementation of a consumer's choice model in Swedish primary health care, which resulted an intended increase in private health care centres. In this case, empowerment is assumed to be enhanced by increased exit options and freedom of choice. The specific question in the analysis is whether citizens who have empowering experiences, as a consequence of the reform, are more likely to be positive towards further privatization of welfare services.
The results show few effects in general, but there seems to be a correlation between the experience of exiting and more positive attitudes towards privatization.
Full text (PDF 19pp)
Friday, 1 February 2013
Role of NGOs in the implementation of active labour market policies: The case of Finland and Sweden
an article by Thomas Babila Sama, (University of Jyväskylä, Finland) published in The International Journal of Leadership in Public Services Volume 8 Issume 3 (2013)
Abstract
Purpose
This is a mixed method comparative case study. The aim of this paper is to find the role played by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the implementation of the active labour market policies (ALMPs) of Finland and Sweden, and also the relationship that the NGOs have with the government of the two countries.
Design/methodology/approach
Two NGOs were selected in Finland and one NGO was selected in Sweden for the data collection. The two selected NGOs in Finland were Jyväskylän Katulähetys in the City of Jyväskylä and Pirkanmaan Sininauha in the City of Tampere. Meanwhile, the one selected NGO in Sweden was Stockholms Stadsmission in the City of Stockholm.
Primary data were collected through questionnaires and interviews, while secondary data were collected from literature reviews, books and internet websites.
A total of 130 employees responded to the questionnaires from the two selected NGOs in Finland, while 140 employees responded from the one selected NGO in Sweden. The questionnaires were analysed using SPSS.
Findings
The findings revealed that first, the selected NGOs play active role in the implementation of the ALMPs of Finland and Sweden by employing long-term unemployed people in the labour market.
Second, the findings revealed that the selected NGOs play active role in the implementation of the ALMPs of Finland and Sweden by providing social services, mobilizing local resources and undertaking other types of activities which have created jobs for the unemployed.
Last, the findings revealed that the selected NGOs play active role in the implementation of the ALMPs of Finland and Sweden by providing voluntary work to volunteers – some of who acquire skills that can help them to find a job in the open labour market.
Originality/value
The relationship between the NGOs and the Governments of Finland and Sweden was found to be one of partnership cooperation through the local Employment Offices and the City Councils. However, Finland was found to have a more bureaucratic system than Sweden in the implementation of their ALMPs with regard to NGOs.
The main similarity between the two countries was that the implementation of ALMPs with regard to NGOs, takes place at the local level through the local Employment Offices and the City Councils.
This study concluded that although Finland and Sweden are two “Nordic countries”, the two countries slightly differ in the implementation of their ALMPs with regard to NGOs.
Abstract
Purpose
This is a mixed method comparative case study. The aim of this paper is to find the role played by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the implementation of the active labour market policies (ALMPs) of Finland and Sweden, and also the relationship that the NGOs have with the government of the two countries.
Design/methodology/approach
Two NGOs were selected in Finland and one NGO was selected in Sweden for the data collection. The two selected NGOs in Finland were Jyväskylän Katulähetys in the City of Jyväskylä and Pirkanmaan Sininauha in the City of Tampere. Meanwhile, the one selected NGO in Sweden was Stockholms Stadsmission in the City of Stockholm.
Primary data were collected through questionnaires and interviews, while secondary data were collected from literature reviews, books and internet websites.
A total of 130 employees responded to the questionnaires from the two selected NGOs in Finland, while 140 employees responded from the one selected NGO in Sweden. The questionnaires were analysed using SPSS.
Findings
The findings revealed that first, the selected NGOs play active role in the implementation of the ALMPs of Finland and Sweden by employing long-term unemployed people in the labour market.
Second, the findings revealed that the selected NGOs play active role in the implementation of the ALMPs of Finland and Sweden by providing social services, mobilizing local resources and undertaking other types of activities which have created jobs for the unemployed.
Last, the findings revealed that the selected NGOs play active role in the implementation of the ALMPs of Finland and Sweden by providing voluntary work to volunteers – some of who acquire skills that can help them to find a job in the open labour market.
Originality/value
The relationship between the NGOs and the Governments of Finland and Sweden was found to be one of partnership cooperation through the local Employment Offices and the City Councils. However, Finland was found to have a more bureaucratic system than Sweden in the implementation of their ALMPs with regard to NGOs.
The main similarity between the two countries was that the implementation of ALMPs with regard to NGOs, takes place at the local level through the local Employment Offices and the City Councils.
This study concluded that although Finland and Sweden are two “Nordic countries”, the two countries slightly differ in the implementation of their ALMPs with regard to NGOs.
Friday, 25 January 2013
Transnational labour markets and national wage setting systems in the EU
an article by Gerhard Bosch and Claudia Weinkopf (Institut Arbeit und Qualifikation, University Duisburg-Essen, Germany) published in Industrial Relations Journal
Volume 44 Issue 1 (January 2013)
Abstract
The article analyses the impact of European regulations of posting on different national wage systems.
The article shows that the impact varied across the countries and has been filtered by the national institutions regulating the labour market.
In the voluntarist wage setting systems of Germany and even Sweden, they have been a major factor bringing wages back into competition. The ability of national actors to act has been considerably curtailed by the European Court of Justice (EUJ), which has placed free competition above the basic rights of autonomous collective bargaining.
Because of the divergent interests of Member States, this weakening of national actors cannot be compensated for by transnational agreements. This ‘negative integration’ brings with it a serious risk that the inclusiveness of European wage systems will be eroded by a series of cumulative effects.
Full text (PDF 20pp) (as published July 2012 with Gerhard Bosch as the single author)
Abstract
The article analyses the impact of European regulations of posting on different national wage systems.
The article shows that the impact varied across the countries and has been filtered by the national institutions regulating the labour market.
In the voluntarist wage setting systems of Germany and even Sweden, they have been a major factor bringing wages back into competition. The ability of national actors to act has been considerably curtailed by the European Court of Justice (EUJ), which has placed free competition above the basic rights of autonomous collective bargaining.
Because of the divergent interests of Member States, this weakening of national actors cannot be compensated for by transnational agreements. This ‘negative integration’ brings with it a serious risk that the inclusiveness of European wage systems will be eroded by a series of cumulative effects.
Full text (PDF 20pp) (as published July 2012 with Gerhard Bosch as the single author)
Tuesday, 8 January 2013
Cyberbullying and subjective health: A large-scale study of students in Stockholm, Sweden
an article by Sara Brolin Låftman, Bitte Modin and Viveca Östberg (Centre for Health Equity Studies (CHESS), Stockholm University/Karolinska Institute, Sweden) published in Children and Youth Services Review Volume 35 Issue 1 (January 2013)
Abstract
The increase in the use of mobile phones and the Internet has given rise to new opportunities for people to meet and communicate. However, there are also dark sides to these new forms of communication. One of these is cyberbullying, i.e. bullying via mobile phone and the Internet. Given that cyberbullying is a relatively new phenomenon, empirical knowledge is still limited and particularly so in Sweden, which in international comparison has reported low rates of bullying in general.
The aim of the study is to investigate:
About 5 % of the students are victims of cyberbullying, 4% are perpetrators, and 2% are both victims and perpetrators.
There is some overlap between cyberbullying and traditional bullying: those who are victims of traditional bullying are at increased risk of also being victims of cyberbullying; while being a traditional bully is strongly associated with the likelihood of also being a cyberbully.
However, many students who are involved in cyberbullying are not involved in traditional bullying. OLS regression analyses show that being a victim of cyberbullying remains associated with worse subjective health when being the victim of traditional bullying and socioeconomic factors are taken into account. In addition, perpetrators of cyberbullying as well as students who are both victims and bullies, have worse subjective health than those who are not involved in cyberbullying.
Highlights
► The paper studies cyberbullying and subjective health among students in Sweden.
► The data are derived from the Stockholm School Survey (N = 22,544).
► Cyberbullying is associated with traditional bullying, but only to a limited extent.
► Being a victim of cyberbullying is linked to worse subjective health.
► Being a cyberbully or a cyberbully-victim is linked to worse subjective health.
Abstract
The increase in the use of mobile phones and the Internet has given rise to new opportunities for people to meet and communicate. However, there are also dark sides to these new forms of communication. One of these is cyberbullying, i.e. bullying via mobile phone and the Internet. Given that cyberbullying is a relatively new phenomenon, empirical knowledge is still limited and particularly so in Sweden, which in international comparison has reported low rates of bullying in general.
The aim of the study is to investigate:
- the prevalence of cyberbullying among students in Stockholm, Sweden;
- the overlap between cyberbullying and traditional forms of school bullying, and
- the association between the experience of cyberbullying and subjective health.
About 5 % of the students are victims of cyberbullying, 4% are perpetrators, and 2% are both victims and perpetrators.
There is some overlap between cyberbullying and traditional bullying: those who are victims of traditional bullying are at increased risk of also being victims of cyberbullying; while being a traditional bully is strongly associated with the likelihood of also being a cyberbully.
However, many students who are involved in cyberbullying are not involved in traditional bullying. OLS regression analyses show that being a victim of cyberbullying remains associated with worse subjective health when being the victim of traditional bullying and socioeconomic factors are taken into account. In addition, perpetrators of cyberbullying as well as students who are both victims and bullies, have worse subjective health than those who are not involved in cyberbullying.
Highlights
► The paper studies cyberbullying and subjective health among students in Sweden.
► The data are derived from the Stockholm School Survey (N = 22,544).
► Cyberbullying is associated with traditional bullying, but only to a limited extent.
► Being a victim of cyberbullying is linked to worse subjective health.
► Being a cyberbully or a cyberbully-victim is linked to worse subjective health.
Monday, 3 December 2012
Vacancy Referrals, Job Search, and the Duration of Unemployment: A Randomized Experiment
an article by Per Engström, Patrik Hesselius and Bertil Holmlund (Uppsala University, Sweden) published in LABOUR Volume 26 Issue 4 (December 2012)
Abstract
One goal of the Public Employment Service is to facilitate matching between unemployed job-seekers and job vacancies; another goal is to monitor job search so as to bring search efforts among the unemployed in line with search requirements.
The referral of job-seekers to vacancies is one instrument used for these purposes.
We report results from a randomised Swedish experiment where the outcome of referrals is examined.
To what extent do unemployed individuals actually apply for the jobs they are referred to?
Does information to job-seekers about increased monitoring affect the probability of applying and the probability of leaving unemployment?
The experiment indicates that a relatively large fraction (one-third) of the referrals do not result in job applications. Information about intensified monitoring causes an increase in the probability of job application, especially among young people.
However, we find no significant impact on the duration of unemployment.
JEL classifications: C99, J64, J68
Abstract
One goal of the Public Employment Service is to facilitate matching between unemployed job-seekers and job vacancies; another goal is to monitor job search so as to bring search efforts among the unemployed in line with search requirements.
The referral of job-seekers to vacancies is one instrument used for these purposes.
We report results from a randomised Swedish experiment where the outcome of referrals is examined.
To what extent do unemployed individuals actually apply for the jobs they are referred to?
Does information to job-seekers about increased monitoring affect the probability of applying and the probability of leaving unemployment?
The experiment indicates that a relatively large fraction (one-third) of the referrals do not result in job applications. Information about intensified monitoring causes an increase in the probability of job application, especially among young people.
However, we find no significant impact on the duration of unemployment.
JEL classifications: C99, J64, J68
Wednesday, 17 October 2012
The marketisation of care: Rationales and consequences in Nordic and liberal care regimes
an article by Deborah Brennan and Bettina Cass (University of New South Wales, Australia), Susan Himmelweit (Open University, UK) and Marta Szebehely (Stockholm University, Sweden) published in Journal of European Social Policy Volume 22 Number 4 (October 2012)
Abstract
The use of markets and market mechanisms to deliver care services is growing in both liberal and social democratic welfare states.
This article examines debates and policies concerning the marketisation of eldercare and childcare in Sweden, England and Australia.
It shows how market discourses and practices intersect with, reinforce or challenge traditions and existing policies and examines whether care markets deliver user empowerment and greater efficiency.
Markets for eldercare and childcare have developed in uneven and context specific ways with varying consequences. Both politics and policy history help to shape market outcomes.
Hazel’s comment:
What effect is the marketisation of these services likely to have on the labour which is often seen as menial?
Would it be cynical of me to suggest that wages will get as low as possible in the UK and that terms and conditions of employment will get harsher in order to deliver a profit to the shareholders?
Abstract
The use of markets and market mechanisms to deliver care services is growing in both liberal and social democratic welfare states.
This article examines debates and policies concerning the marketisation of eldercare and childcare in Sweden, England and Australia.
It shows how market discourses and practices intersect with, reinforce or challenge traditions and existing policies and examines whether care markets deliver user empowerment and greater efficiency.
Markets for eldercare and childcare have developed in uneven and context specific ways with varying consequences. Both politics and policy history help to shape market outcomes.
Hazel’s comment:
What effect is the marketisation of these services likely to have on the labour which is often seen as menial?
Would it be cynical of me to suggest that wages will get as low as possible in the UK and that terms and conditions of employment will get harsher in order to deliver a profit to the shareholders?
Monday, 3 September 2012
Working longer in European countries: underestimated and unexpected effects
an article by Dominique Anxo and Thomas Ericson (Linnaeus University, Vaxjo, Sweden) and Annie Jolivet, (Institute of Economic and Social Researches (IRES) and Studies Center on Age and Populations at Work (CREAPT), Paris) published International Journal of Manpower Volume 33 Issue 6 (2012)
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyse the main evolutions and the current situation of the 50-74-year-olds on the labour market in eight European countries (Denmark France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Sweden, Poland and the UK).
Design/methodology/approach
Based on a cross-country comparative approach, this overview draws on detailed analysis of the situation of older workers and public policies in each of the selected countries but also on a wide range of available studies and statistics on employment and welfare outcomes.
Findings
The eight selected countries display similarities: a u-shaped pattern of employment rates of older workers (55-64 years old) over the last 40 years, with an increase since the mid 1990s, the later exit of higher educated workers and the higher prevalence of non-standard employment contracts among older workers. On the other hand, considerable disparities can be observed regarding the gender gap in employment rate, current employment rates, self-employment and part-time employment among older workers.
Social implications
Specific questions will be more acute with the effective postponement of retirement: increasing inequalities between groups of older workers, increasing uncertainty about the age of retirement, the way to keep lower educated workers in their jobs, sustainable working conditions, increasing risks of age discrimination, and impact of care of older relatives.
Originality/value
This paper offers a synthetic overview with a special attention paid to the main features of the countries’ exit patterns at the end of the working life, the prevailing public policies and the specificity of the different national employment and societal models.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyse the main evolutions and the current situation of the 50-74-year-olds on the labour market in eight European countries (Denmark France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Sweden, Poland and the UK).
Design/methodology/approach
Based on a cross-country comparative approach, this overview draws on detailed analysis of the situation of older workers and public policies in each of the selected countries but also on a wide range of available studies and statistics on employment and welfare outcomes.
Findings
The eight selected countries display similarities: a u-shaped pattern of employment rates of older workers (55-64 years old) over the last 40 years, with an increase since the mid 1990s, the later exit of higher educated workers and the higher prevalence of non-standard employment contracts among older workers. On the other hand, considerable disparities can be observed regarding the gender gap in employment rate, current employment rates, self-employment and part-time employment among older workers.
Social implications
Specific questions will be more acute with the effective postponement of retirement: increasing inequalities between groups of older workers, increasing uncertainty about the age of retirement, the way to keep lower educated workers in their jobs, sustainable working conditions, increasing risks of age discrimination, and impact of care of older relatives.
Originality/value
This paper offers a synthetic overview with a special attention paid to the main features of the countries’ exit patterns at the end of the working life, the prevailing public policies and the specificity of the different national employment and societal models.
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