Unemployment and Local Labour Markets

This book brings together studies conducted by university research teams in six distinct local labour markets, with a special focus on the problems faced by the long term unemployed in those labour markets, the capacity for public authorities to create jobs directly, and the usefulness of official databases on labour demand and supply. This book largely rejects the picture which has grown up of the long term unemployed as being effectively detatched from the labour force, with important implications for economic policy. It casts doubt on the ability of public authorities to create jobs quickly and cheaply. It also casts doubt on the usefulness of official databases for the planning of training and other provision, at a time when the new Training and Enterprise councils are taking over such provision without, it would seem, an appreciation of the information on which to base their planning.