IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/eurjou/v31y2025i1p31-51.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Restructuring regimes in and between two crises: A comparison of Sweden and the UK

Author

Listed:
  • Roland Ahlstrand
  • Christopher J McLachlan
  • Robert MacKenzie
  • Alexis Rydell
  • Mark Stuart

Abstract

This paper compares responses to crises through analysis of labour market policy in Sweden and the UK between the Global Financial Crisis to the COVID-19 pandemic. In drawing on ‘restructuring regimes’, we offer insights into the dynamics of change in the two countries, focussing on the development of short-time working schemes. We argue that Sweden learned lessons from the GFC that helped prepare for future crises, whereas the UK’s muted response left it ill-prepared for the COVID-19 crisis. The paper contributes to debates around restructuring regimes through an analysis of the journey between two crises in which we characterise Sweden’s approach as proactive and pre-emptive and the UK’s as reactive and ad hoc. By locating analysis in traditions of self-regulation and voluntarism in Sweden and the UK, respectively, we expand upon the role that industrial relations play in maintaining the stability, or not, of national restructuring regimes.

Suggested Citation

  • Roland Ahlstrand & Christopher J McLachlan & Robert MacKenzie & Alexis Rydell & Mark Stuart, 2025. "Restructuring regimes in and between two crises: A comparison of Sweden and the UK," European Journal of Industrial Relations, , vol. 31(1), pages 31-51, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:eurjou:v:31:y:2025:i:1:p:31-51
    DOI: 10.1177/09596801241267113
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/09596801241267113
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/09596801241267113?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:eurjou:v:31:y:2025:i:1:p:31-51. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.