Europe's New State of Welfare: Unemployment, Employment Policies and Citizenship

It is often argued that European welfare states, with regulated labour markets, relatively generous social protection and relatively high wage equality (compressed wage structures), have become counter-productive in a globalised and knowledge-intensive economy. Using in-depth, comparative and interdisciplinary analysis of employment, welfare and citizenship in a number of European countries, this book challenges this view. It provides: a comprehensive critique of the idea of globalisation as a challenge to European welfare states; an updated overview of employment and unemployment levels in Europe; detailed country chapters with new and previously inaccessible information about employment and unemployment policies written by national experts. "Unemployment, Welfare Policies and Citizenship" is aimed at students and teachers of social policy, welfare studies, politics and economics.