Search

Activation policies are widely adopted to encourage labour market participation of unemployed youth, and yet they are poorly understood and monitored with regard to the causal mechanisms unfolding through their implementation. Activation schemes are often based on the carrot-and-stick logic informed by microeconomic job search theory, but activation occurs through processes which are far more complex and comprises elements of career identity and capability development, among others. This paper is the first to provide an in-depth exploration of the processes of attitudinal and behavioural change experienced by unemployed youth over the course of their participation in different activation programmes. Seven phases of change emerged from the analysis, namely vocational availability, self-testing, self-knowledge, self-confidence, goal-orientation, vocational activity and perseverance. For each of these phases, we identify drivers of change from both within and outside the intervention sphere, and discuss them in their implications for research and practice.

This paper presents one of the first cross-nationally comparative studies on the economic and social returns to grit (perseverance and passion for long-term goals). Specifically, we investigated whether grit incrementally predicted objective (income) and subjective (job satisfaction) career success over and above cognitive skills and educational attainment; whether grit's association with career success was moderated by individual characteristics; whether grit's associations with career success varied across countries; and whether this variation could be explained by labour market conditions (unemployment rates). Multi-group structural equation models with data from 6,738 respondents from 19 countries revealed that grit was incrementally associated with income and job satisfaction in some but not all countries. Grit's effect sizes were mostly modest, yet there were some indications for variations by education and labour market conditions. Overall, these findings suggest that the associations between grit and career success are not uniform but vary across individuals and contexts.

In this paper, the authors first discuss the Neumark and Troske piece, and then compare the U.S. context to that in Europe and Korea, as described by the Caspar, Hartwig, and Moench and the Cho and Shin contributions. Although they are in basic agreement with Neumark and Troske on the extent and depth of the current employment situation, they differ to some extent in terms of remedies. While Neumark and Troske argue that the stimulus packages had a very small impact on the economy, the authors feel that this may be too negative an assessment, especially given the larger global financial forces that seem to overwhelm domestic job creation efforts. The European and Korean papers contribute an important comparative perspective on the recession. As Cho and Shin argue, Korea fared very well due to rising demand for domestic consumption and a very small welfare state. However, Korean institutions are hard to convert or directly compare to those in the United States. It is hard to tell a "European story" because of the large difference in institutions and the differing impacts of the recession. Germany and Scandinavia have clearly done much better than Spain, Greece, or Ireland. Caspar, Hartwig, and Moench emphasize that if the gains are to be longer term, there needs to be "structural reform" of the labor market--to "strengthen labor market policies that reduce structural unemployment rates, increase labor market participation, strengthen the reallocation of labor toward a smart, sustainable, and inclusive economy, and promote social cohesion by targeting specific groups of workers." All of this sounds great, but how does the United States move toward these goals? It is harder than one might expect to extract some clear lessons about how deeper economic pain could have been avoided or how one might be able to make more significant or rapid progress in pulling the U.S. labor market out of its malaise. If anything, the authors find that, of the nations examined in this set of articles, each has a different story to tell about the great recession, and the reality is that in every case, the stories are not yet fully told. (Contains 1 table.)

Aggregate unemployment may affect individual returns to education through qualification-specific responses in participation and wage bargaining. This paper shows that an increase in regional unemployment by 1% decreases returns to education by 0.005 percentage points. This implies that higher skilled employees are better sheltered from labour market changes with respect to their jobs but they encounter larger wage changes than less skilled employees. We use representative individual data and panel variation in unemployment between German regions and employee groups. We demonstrate that our results are robust with respect to aggregation bias, time lags and potential endogeneity of the unemployment variable. (Contains 5 tables and 2 figures.)

From the early 1990s until 2005 the unemployment rate rose in Germany from 7.3 to 11.7%. While the unemployment rate reached its peak in 2005, it decreased steadily in the following years. The fourth stage of the German labor market reform (Hartz IV) was implemented in 2005 with the intent to cut the unemployment rate. This paper investigates the employment and welfare effects of the Hartz IV reform. Moreover, I am interested in the employment impact of German labor market reform due the rise of the East, which is the productivity increase in Germany and Eastern Europe that has fostered joint fast-growing trade. The focus lies on the national and county level (including 402 counties). As the effects on regional labor markets differ and take time, the paper builds on the dynamic and spatial trade model of Caliendo et al. (2019). I find that the Hartz IV reform is responsible for a 25% drop in unemployment, with a particular impact on eastern German counties. The rise of the East leads to an additional positive contribution to the labor market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the one hand, unemployment is known to have detrimental effects on individuals' mental health. On the other hand, poor mental health reduces re‐employment chances quite drastically, creating a vicious cycle. Active labour market policies (ALMPs) such as training programs or wage subsidies have been shown to ameliorate negative effects on mental health and improve labour market integration on average for the general unemployed population. In the context of individuals with severe mental health issues, however, it is unclear whether these interventions can be expected to deliver similar positive effects. In fact, one may argue that they have the potential to worsen employment prospects of individuals by adding additional stress to their pre‐existing mental health problems. Hence, this paper estimates the long‐term causal effects of ALMPs on the labour market integration of individuals with self‐reported severe mental health issues and compares estimates to individuals without such issues using unique combined survey and administrative data. Effects are estimated using the innovative double machine learning method and show that ALMPs do not only improve labour market integration of unemployed individuals with severe mental health issues, but they do so more effectively than for other unemployed individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to attempt to look at the link between labor market risks and social insurance demands by taking occupational unemployment rates, and specificity of skills into account. Design/methodology/approach - Occupational unemployment rate is treated as an estimate of labor market risk in addition to human capital investment. Then, the variations in Germany and the USA - with diverse labor markets and a considerable difference in terms of social insurance support - are examined. Findings - The results suggest that occupational unemployment rate is explanatory for the demands for social insurance along with income. Practical implications - Conclusions reached in the paper aim to contribute to the understanding of the political support for social insurance and hence provide tools for the design of such insurance mechanisms. Originality/value - Contrary to the widespread association between the type of human capital and social insurance preferences in the literature, the paper argues that the cross-country variations can be explained by occupational unemployment rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unemployment has persistently been found to severely decrease the life satisfaction of individuals. Even after income and other socioeconomic characteristics are controlled for, the employment status remains an important determinant of happiness, pointing to non-pecuniary functions of work. But what effect does labour market policy have? Can the psychosocial functions of work be fulfilled by activation measures, offsetting the detrimental life satisfaction effect of unemployment? Analysing panel data, this paper shows that the biggest German activation programme ‘One-Euro-Job’ is connected to a level of life satisfaction that is significantly higher than the one of respective unemployed welfare benefit recipients. This effect is especially strong if participants perceive the measure to match their personal skills and to increase their future employment chances, but vanishes if participants perceive it as degrading. In total, satisfaction scores of participants do not match the level of the regularly employed. In contrast to these pronounced differences in cross-sectional analyses, longitudinal models show similar effects but are less statistically robust, pointing to certain selection biases. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose -- The paper aims to present an analysis of the indirect and direct effects of active labour market policy measures at the regional level for Western Germany. Design/methodology/approach -- Most evaluation studies of active labour market policy focus on the microeconometric treatment effect using individual data and do not account for possible indirect effects like deadweight and substitution effects. The present study uses a dynamic specification of the augmented matching function at the regional level. A dynamic panel data model is estimated using monthly and regional variation of different labour market programmes as explanatory variables. Furthermore, spatial interactions are taken into account by adding a spatially correlated error term. Findings -- Almost no significant negative effects are found of the stock of participants in programmes of labour market policy on the number of outflows from unemployment into regular jobs. Thus, contrary to findings at the individual level, no lock-in effect is found. The number of programme participants does not reduce the number of outflows from unemployment. On the other hand when looking not at the stocks but on the outflows from programmes, no positive effects on outflows from unemployment at the regional level are found. Research limitations/implications -- Because of data limitations only a period up to six months after completing a programme is used. Originality/value -- The authors distinguish between the effects of the stock of programme participants and of the outflows from programmes. Furthermore, the authors account for spatially correlated error terms by using a GM estimator proposed by Muff in 2006. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to analyse the implementation and effectiveness of an intensified activation scheme for very disadvantaged welfare recipients in Germany, used as a targeting device for a very generous wage subsidy (JobPerspective). Design/methodology/approach - Using administrative data and a difference-in-difference approach, the authors analyse the implementation of the activation scheme and its impact on various labour market outcomes. To ensure that target and comparison group are comparable over time, the authors control for various individual, household and regional characteristics. Findings - The activation of the target group of disadvantaged welfare recipients is modestly intensified directly after the scheme's introduction. This does not improve the prospects of the target group to work in regular jobs, but - as a first step - in subsidized jobs. Considering a later period, evidence was found for broader activation efforts together with some gains in the regular employment for disadvantaged welfare recipients. Overall, the results suggest that the implementation of activation for disadvantaged welfare recipients, as well as employment gains, need time. Originality/value - This study analyses whether and how a scheme of intensified activation that leaves its design to local actors, without providing additional funding, makes job centres implement such a policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper aims to analyze the welfare use of Turkish immigrants and natives in Germany. The authors ask whether the immigrant-native gap in welfare use can be explained by observable characteristics, whether the mechanisms behind welfare dependence differ for Turkish immigrants and natives, and, finally, they compare the situation before and after the 2005 reform of the German welfare system. Design/methodology/approach – Using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel Study, the authors estimate linear probability models with random effects to investigate the correlates of transfer receipt for Turkish immigrants and natives. Findings – Turkish immigrants have a higher propensity to use welfare benefits than natives. After controlling for general individual and household level characteristics, the difference in welfare receipt is statistically significant only for the group of second generation immigrants. The correlation of observable characteristics with welfare dependence differs significantly for the native and immigrant sample. The share of benefit recipients increased after the policy reform in 2005 for both immigrants and natives. Practical implications – First, as human capital and particularly labor market status are important determinants of welfare use, training programs designed for the special needs of immigrants might support their labor market integration. Second, measures to ameliorate the integration of older people into the labor market might be particularly useful because the need for welfare benefits arises particularly at the 50-60 age range. Originality/value – This is the first study to investigate welfare use of Turkish immigrants after the German 2005 labor market policy reform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 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. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose -- This paper aims to introduce a new large-scale panel study ("PASS") for research on the labour market, the welfare State and poverty that combines a sample of 6,000 recipient households with an equally large sample of the general population. Design/methodology/approach -- The authors show how research goals and the specific population of the survey are accounted for in a tailored survey design. Findings -- The authors point the reader to new research potential created by the new study. ,The new potential is mainly derived from the sampling design (large recipient sample combined with a population sample), the direct measurement of poverty by a deprivation index, the detailed measurement of the migratory background, additional information (like attitudes, search intensity) for models of recipiency dynamics, and the linkage of the survey data with administrative data. Originality/value -- The data set described fills a major gap in the data-infrastructure available for labour-market research. From a methodological point of view it presents an innovative sampling design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

German educational spending per student has dramatically declined since the early 1970s. In this paper, we develop a theory of fiscal opportunism and argue that state governments exploit higher educational policies as an instrument of active labour market policy. By 'opening' universities to the masses and the extensive propagation of broader university enrolment during times of economic distress, state governments have an instrument at their disposal for lowering unemployment without generating negative budgetary implications. Thereby, the government pockets voter support not only by diminishing unemployment, but also by providing public goods particularly to the socially disadvantaged. At the same time, the state government risks a deterioration of educational quality owing to decreasing educational spending per student. We test our theoretical claims for the German states in a period ranging from 1975 to 2000 by means of panel fixed-effects models. The empirical results robustly support the hypothesis that rising unemployment ratios lead to increased university enrolment, but also significantly reduce the spending per student. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current debates about activation policies focus only to a very limited degree on continental or conservative welfare states, as countries like Austria and Germany are usually assumed to exhibit a low degree of activation. However, active labour market policies have a long tradition in both countries. This paper analyses the development of active labour market policy in Germany and Austria during the last two decades with special emphasis on recent reform attempts. Against this background, the potential outcome of the central reforms is discussed. In spite of claims to 'modernise' the welfare system and labour market policies, current developments work mainly in the direction of curtailing benefits and rights of the unemployed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the course of the transition from an industrial to a service economy, fundamental changes in the functioning of the labour market are expected to occur. A number of authors assert that these changes will result in an increasing external-numerical flexibility of firms which is assumed to affect labour market processes in terms of a generally higher labour market mobility and a decreasing employment stability ('high-velocity labour market'). This paper examines the hypothesis of a growing importance of numeric-external flexibility, applying simple descriptive statistical methods to the event-history data of the IAB Employment Subsample for the West German labour market covering the years 1976 to 1995. There is no evidence for an acceleration of labour market 'churning', but rather for a stagnation or even slight decline of labour market mobility since the 1970s. Furthermore, job stability has not decreased over time, as one might have expected, but rather increased. In spite of these general results it might be conceivable that service-sector jobs have become more unstable but that this effect is cancelled out by a considerable stabilization of jobs in manufacturing. It turns out, however, that there is no evidence for developments in the 'old' and 'new' labour markets to contrast in such a simple way. Services display divergent trends when broken down by sub-sectors; jobs in some of them have stabilized while there is no or an opposite change in others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the German labour market development during the Great Recession as well as in the years before and until 2015. Germany's labour market witnessed a strong upswing during the recent decade and performed remarkably well in the Great Recession. Structural reforms before the crisis had improved the functioning of the labour market and initiated a solid upward trend that also helped overcome the crisis. High establishment-level flexibility allowed buffering the severe drop in GDP. While the employment upswing continued until today, critical developments concerned the increase in atypical jobs, weak wage growth and rising inequality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While youth unemployment is a widely studied topic, many accounts fail to take into consideration young adults’ experiences with and perceptions of the public services they make use of. Young people’s perceptions of the services they use are closely linked to a variety of behaviours such as noncompliance, early withdrawal or non-take-up, all of which can hinder the (re-)entry to the labour market. How young people evaluate their interactions with employment services can even have impacts on societal and political attitudes; as for many young people, these experiences represent their first interactions with the state. In this study, we draw on unique survey data to offer insights into young adults’ evaluations and experiences with public employment services in Germany and discuss them in light of the structure and organizational capacity of public employment services to deliver the programmes and services that young adults need. By placing the analytical focus on young people’s evaluations, we argue that although Germany is often highlighted as a highly successful case in terms of youth labour market outcomes; there is nevertheless ample room for improvement in terms of how young people assess the offerings and personal experiences with public employment services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The scientific objective of this study is an attempt to clarify the institutional aspects of the functioning of the labour market in Germany that are relevant to the response to the global economic crisis of 2008-2009. Motivation: The reaction of German labour market was totally different than during previous recessions and the explanation of the sources of this response constitutes the main motivation to undertake this study. The considerations rely on the thesis that it could be attributed to the institutional infrastructure combined with clever economic policy of the state and responsible behaviour of social partners. The economic theory suggests how an isolated institution functions, but in the real world they works in the whole institutional network. Therefore the broader context and some linkages are mentioned. Results: After a brief review of the main macroeconomic indicators and selected labour market institutions in Germany in comparison to the OECD countries, the labour market reforms undertaken in the period between 2002 and 2007 will be discussed. Then, selected on the basis of literature studies, institutional buffers of the labour market mitigating shocks are examined with particular emphasis on the instruments of internal flexibility, social partners' behaviour and institutional connections of labour markets with other domains of economic order. The elements of institutional framework are subject to qualitative analysis backed up by available official statistical data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Are party preferences of atypical workers distinct from those in stable employment? The welfare state literature debates this question, but very few empirical studies have been conducted. We examine the German case, being an example of a welfare state with strong social insurance traditions where the rise of atypical employment has been conspicuous. In particular, we test the argument that preferences of labour market outsiders may not differ because outsiders share households with insiders. We find that labour market status significantly affects party preferences. Compared with standard employees, atypical workers have stronger preferences for small left-wing parties. Living together with a labour market insider neutralizes these party preferences, but this type of household is not very common. Moreover, atypical workers differ from the unemployed by not participating less in elections than insiders. Therefore, it is expedient to distinguish between different types of labour market outsiders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From 2005 to 2011 employment rose and unemployment rates declined considerably in Germany. This favourable development followed the labour market reforms initiated in 2003, and there has been a tendency to attribute the improved labour market performance to those reforms. Causal micro-evaluations of the various measures, however, show hardly any effects on variables that can be related to employment. Rather, it seems that employment increased in response to a process of wage moderation that had already begun in the 1990s. It is possible that this moderation was itself partially a product of the reforms, but this needs further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Niebuhr A., Granato N., Haas A. and Hamann S. Does labour mobility reduce disparities between regional labour markets in Germany?, Regional Studies. Differences in regional labour market conditions are still pronounced in Germany, especially between the Eastern and Western parts. Traditional neoclassical models imply that labour mobility should reduce such disparities. In contrast, models that include externalities or selective migration suggest that regional differences may well increase due to the interregional migration of workers. The impact of labour mobility on regional disparities in Germany between 1995 and 2005 is investigated. Considering migration as well as commuting, effects on regional wages and unemployment are estimated. The results suggest that labour mobility tends to reduce disparities; however, significant effects on unemployment disparities only are found. Niebuhr A., Granato N., Haas A. and Hamann S. 劳动力移动性是否减少了德国劳动力市场的差异？区域研究。 在德国区域劳动力市场间，尤其是东西部之间，仍然存在差异。传统新古典主义模型表明，劳动力的移动性应该会减少上述差异。而包含了外部性以及选择性移民的模型指出，区域差异可能会由于区域间移民或工人而增加。我们考察了1995－2005年间劳动力移动性对于德国区域差异的影响。在考虑移民以及通勤基础上，我们对于区域工资以及失业的作用都进行了评估。结果表明，劳动力移动性倾向于减少差异，但是却唯独加剧了失业差异。 区域差异 移民 通勤 德国 Niebuhr A., Granato N., Haas A. et Hamann S. La mobilité du travail, est-ce qu'elle réduit les écarts entre les marchés du travail régionaux en Allemagne. Regional Studies. Les différences des conditions des marchés du travail régionaux restent marqués en Allemagne, surtout à l'est du pays par rapport à l'ouest. Les modèles néoclassiques types laissent supposer que la mobilité du travail devrait réduire de tels écarts. Par contraste, les modèles qui incluent les effets externes ou la migration tendancieuse laissent supposer que les écarts régionaux pourraient se creuser à cause de la migration interrégionale des travailleurs. On examine l'impact de la mobilité du travail sur les écarts régionaux en Allemagne entre 1995 et 2005. En tenant compte de la migration ainsi que des trajets quotidiens pour se rendre au travail, on en évalue l'impact sur les salaires régionaux et le chômage. Les résultats laissent supposer que la mobilité du travail à tendance à réduire les écarts. Cependant, il ne s'avère importants effets que sur les écarts du chômage. Écarts régionaux Migration Trajets quotidiens pour se rendre au travail Allemagne Niebuhr A., Granato N., Haas A. und Hamann S. Verringern sich durch eine Mobilität der Arbeitnehmer die Disparitäten zwischen den regionalen Arbeitsmärkten in Deutschland?, Regional Studies. Die Unterschiede zwischen den Bedingungen auf den regionalen Arbeitsmärkten sind in Deutschland nach wie vor ausgeprägt, insbesondere bei einem Vergleich zwischen Ost und West. Bei den traditionellen neoklassischen Modellen wird implizit vorausgesetzt, dass sich solche Disparitäten durch eine Mobilität der Arbeitnehmer verringern sollte. Demgegenüber lassen Modelle, in denen Externalitäten oder eine selektive Migration berücksichtigt werden, darauf schließen, dass sich die regionalen Unterschiede durch eine interregionale Migration der Arbeitnehmer sogar noch verstärken können. Wir untersuchen die Auswirkung einer Mobilität der Arbeitnehmer auf die regionalen Disparitäten in Deutschland im Zeitraum von 1995 bis 2005. Unter Berücksichtigung von Migration und Berufspendlern werden die Auswirkungen auf das Lohnniveau und die Arbeitslosigkeit in den Regionen geschätzt. Aus den Ergebnissen geht hervor, dass eine Mobilität der Arbeitnehmer die Disparitäten tendenziell verringert; signifikante Auswirkungen werden jedoch nur im Bereich der Disparität der Arbeitslosigkeit festgestellt. Regionale Disparitäten Migration Berufspendlerverkehr Deutschland Niebuhr A., Granato N., Haas A. y Hamann S. ¿Reduce la movilidad laboral las desigualdades entre los mercados laborales regionales en Alemania?, Regional Studies. Las diferencias entre las condiciones de los mercados laborales regionales son todavía muy pronunciadas en Alemania, especialmente entre el este y el oeste. Con los modelos neoclásicos tradicionales se supone que la movilidad laboral debería reducir tales desigualdades. Sin embargo, los modelos que incluyen factores externos o migración selectiva indican que las diferencias regionales bien podrían aumentar debido a la migración interregional de los trabajadores. Aquí analizamos el efecto de la movilidad laboral en las desigualdades regionales en Alemania entre 1995 y 2005. Teniendo en cuenta la migración así como los desplazamientos al trabajo, calculamos los efectos en los salarios y el desempleo regionales. Los resultados indican que la movilidad laboral tiende a reducir las desigualdades, sin embargo, observamos solamente efectos significativos en las desigualdades de desempleo. Desigualdades regionales Migración Desplazamientos al trabajo Alemania [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since unification, the debate about Germany's poor economic performance has focused on supply-side weaknesses, and the associated reform agenda sought to make low-skill labour markets more flexible. We question this diagnosis using three lines of argument. First, effective restnicturing of the supply side in the core advanced industries was carried out by tie private sector using institutions of the coordinated economy, including unions, works councils and block-holder owners. Second, the implementation of orthodox labour market and welfare state reforms created a flexible labour market at the lower end. Third, low growth and high unemployment are largely accounted for by the persistent weakness of domestic aggregate demand, rather than by the failure to reform the supply side. Strong growth in recent years reflects the successful restructuring of the core economy. To explain these developments, we identify the external pressures on companies in the context of increased global competition, the continuing value of the institutions of the coordinated market economy to the private sector and the constraints imposed on the use of stabilizing macroeconomic policy by these institutions. We also suggest how changes in political coalitions allowed orthodox labour market reforms to be implemented in a consensus political system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses whether the likelihood of Germany introducing a basic income policy — that is independent of labour market participation — has increased in recent years. A brief description of the main elements of the German welfare state is followed by a critical analysis of more recent developments in guaranteeing a basic income, not least with the 2003 merger of unemployment benefits and social assistance. Since then the resulting fears of downward mobility felt even by the middle classes have reignited the 1980's debate about a basic income. Two models (the “basic income guarantee” and the “solidarity citizen's income”) are used to discuss practical system design problems and the chances of realizing a basic income policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Van Ham M. and Büchel F. (2006) Unwilling or unable? Spatial and socio-economic restrictions on females’ labour market access, Regional Studies 40, 345–357. The effects of regional structures on both females’ willingness to work and the probability of being employed for those willing to work are analysed. Special permission was granted to link regional data to individual respondents in the German Socio-Economic Panel (GSOEP). Results of a bivariate probit model correcting for sample selection show that high regional unemployment discourages women from entering the labour market. Those willing to work find it easier to do so if they live in regions with low regional female unemployment rates, at a short distance from the next agglomeration, and – for mothers – with a high density of childcare provision. Van Ham M. et Büchel F. (2006) Peu disposées ou incapables? Les limites géographiques et socio-économiques à l'insertion des femmes dans le marché du travail, Regional Studies 40, 345–357. On cherche à analyser l'impact des structures régionales à la fois sur la disposition des femmes à travailler et sur la probabilité de trouver un emploi de celles qui sont disposées à travailler. A titre exceptionnel, on a pu lier des données régionales à l’échantillon permanent socio-économique allemand (German Socio-Economic Panel – GSOEP). Les résultats d'un modèle probit à deux variables, qui corrige en fonction de la sélection de l’échantillon, démontrent qu'un taux de chômage régional élevé décourage les femmes de s'insérer dans le marché du travail. Celles qui sont disposées à travailler le trouvent plus facile si elles habitent des zones où le taux de chômage féminin régional s'avère peu élevé, qui sont à peu de distance de l'agglomération limitrophe, et – pour les mères – où les crèches sont à forte densité. Offre d'emploi féminin, Marchés du travail régionaux, Crèches, Modèle probit à deux variables, Allemagne Van Ham M. und Büchel F. (2006) Nicht gewillt oder nicht in der Lage? Räumliche und sozio-ökonomische Einschränkungen des Zugangs zum Arbeitsmarkt für Frauen, Regional Studies 40, 345–357. Dieser Aufsatz analysiert die Auswirkungen regionaler Strukturen auf die Bereitschaft von Frauen, einem Erwerb nachzugehen, und die Wahrscheinlichkeit der Erwerbstätigkeit für solche, die willens sind. Den Autoren wurde gestattet, regionale Daten mit einzelnen Teilnehmern der deutschen sozio-ökonomischen Vertretung (German Socio-economic Panel = GSEP) zu verbinden. Ergebnisse einer zweifach variablen Probitmodellkorektur für Stichprobenauswahl zeigen, daß hochgradige regionale Erwerbslosigkeit Frauen vom Einstieg ins Erwerbsleben abhält. Diejenigen, die arbeiten wollen, finden es leichter, diesen Vorsatz zu verwirklichen, wenn sie in Regionen leben, die geringe Erwerbslosigkeitsraten unter Frauen aufweisen, wenn die Entfernung zur nächsten Agglomeration nicht weit ist, und, soweit sie Mütter sind, ihnen eine gute Auswahl von Angeboten der Kinderpflege entgegenkommt. Angebot weiblicher Arbeitskräfte, regionale Arbeitsmärkte, Bereitstellung von Kinderpflege, zweifach variables Probitmodell, Deutschland Van Ham M. y Büchel F. (2006) ¿No quieren o no pueden? Limitaciones espaciales y socioeconómicas de las mujeres para acceder al mercado laboral, Regional Studies 40, 345–357. Analizamos cuáles son los efectos de las estructuras regionales con respecto a la disposición de las mujeres para el trabajo y la probabilidad de que las que desean trabajar sean contratadas. Recibimos una autorización especial para poder vincular los datos regionales con entrevistados individuales en el panel socioeconómico alemán. Los resultados de un modelo probit bivariado para corregir por selección muestral indican que el alto nivel de desempleo regional desanima a las mujeres a entrar en el mercado laboral. Las que quieren trabajar hallan empleo antes si viven en regiones con tasas bajas de desempleo femenino, a una corta distancia de la siguiente aglomeración, y en el caso de madres, si existe una alta densidad de cobertura de atención a la infancia. Mercado laboral femenino, Mercados laborales regionales, Cobertura de atención a la infancia, Modelo probit bivariado, Alemania [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent reforms in Swiss and German old-age insurance and family policy included elements directed at both ‘old’ and ‘new’ social needs. ‘Old risks’, such as old age and unemployment, are mainly covered by income-related insurance schemes for standard industrial breadwinners. By contrast, ‘new’ needs, such as infrastructure to reconcile work and care or insurance of atypical employment biographies, concern mainly ‘new’ risk groups, such as young people or women. While reforms directed at ‘old risks’ mainly focused on cost containment, ‘new’ social policies aimed at gender equality or the increase of labour-market participation. In this article, I argue that the emergence of modernizing policies covering new social needs leads to new conflict lines in social policy making, which differ from the distributional class conflict. Instead, I expect value coalitions and cross-class alliances on these policies. In addition, I argue that in a consensus-democratic institutional context, such new alliances form more easily. These hypotheses are tested with reference to recent reforms in pension and family policy in Germany and Switzerland. Coalition dynamics are examined by means of process analysis and multidimensional scaling. Empirical evidence largely confirms the hypotheses, but also points out the need for further differentiation of policies covering new social needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]