Labour Market and Social Protection Reforms in International Perspective: Parallel or Converging Tracks?

Social protection systems and labour markets have undergone major changes since the 1970s. Welfare states are being reformed, scaled back and modernized; labour markets are more precarious, more feminized, in some countries more unequal, and throughout the OECD area, older. Understanding the interaction between the two systems is crucial to addressing the challenges of economic growth, social equity and sustainable safety nets. This text presents the work of an interdisciplinary team of leading experts, labour economists, sociologists and political scientists, who examine the links between employment and social protection systems to women's career patterns and the development of social protection that promotes employment. Including selected case studies and comparative chapters, it indicates successful outcomes in matching social protection reforms with labour market changes and the opportunites and risks that underpin them. With practical policy guides and recommendations, this text should be of interest to policy-makers, social actors and academics.