Documents Torres, Raymond 11 results

"The employment situation remains a major source of concern in the majority of countries in the European Union. Half of the region's unemployed have been without work for more than a year, and unless the policy approach changes, the prospects are for a sluggish employment recovery.

The Investment Plan proposed by the European Commission is thus a welcome initiative that recognizes the immediate need for stimulating growth, fostering Europe's competitiveness and tackling the employment crisis.

This report finds that for the Investment Plan to make a significant dent in unemployment, the design of the programme is crucial. Taking into account the magnitude and diversity of the labour market challenges, placing greater emphasis on complementary labour market policies and ensuring that small enterprises have access to credit will lead to better outcomes. In addition, any measures developed as part of the Investment Plan need to form the basis of a medium-term employment strategy that aims at quality job creation and avoids a “race to the bottom” in terms of wages and working conditions. "

"Since the onset of the 2008 financial crisis, a further 8 million Europeans have become unemployed. And prolonged recession entails other risks examined here, in terms of labour market exclusion, the economic costs of long-term unemployment,and the extent to which enterprises' job-creating investment potential may become severely constrained. Against this background, the author critically reviews the European policy response with particular attention to the shift to fiscal consolidation since mid-2010 and its long-term implications for Europe's economies, labour markets and societies. Introducing the studies featured in this Special Issue, he draws on their empirical findings to discuss policy options for a reversal of current trends."

"This article examines the perverse effects of incomplete crisis responses. Initial emphasis on the role of government – through coordinated fiscal measures to stimulate the economy, cushion job losses and support vulnerable groups – was effective in averting another Great Depression, despite widening public deficits. However, a policy mistake was made by bailing out banks without reforming the dysfunctional financial system that triggered the crisis: concern over the financial markets' reaction to growing public indebtedness has shifted policy towards a more traditional, market-oriented approach focusing on fiscal consolidation, smaller government and weak social protection. The risks are greater inequities and economic instability."