Employment in the Lean Years: Policy and Prospects for the Next Decade

Over the last fifteen years, the deregulation of Britain's labour market has led to economic growth, employment opportunities, and a more diverse workforce: the 'fat years'. However, now as Britain faces its lean years with job cuts, rising unemployment, income insecurity, and related social strains, how can and should the government and key labour market policy makers ensure the labour market provides job opportunities and reasonable levels of social justice? The fundamental changes that have occurred in labour market institutions mean that 'solutions' of previous decades no longer work. This volume sets out to address the major challenges faced: - Unemployment, immigration, housing and job subsidies - Key institutional changes, such as the decline of collective regulation, rise of occupational licensing, and the National Minimum Wage - Pay and subsidies in the private and public sector Contributions from leading experts in the field employ the latest theory and empirical research to examine a different set of problems and the policies that could help to resolve them. Contributors to this volume - Richard Layard, London School of Economics Stephen Nickell, Nuffield College, University of Oxford Jonathan Wadsworth, Department of Economics, Royal Holloway , University of London Christine M.E. Whitehead, Department of Economics, London School of Economics and Political Science Paul Gregg, School of Economics, Finance, and Management, the University of Bristol William Brown, Darwin College, University of Cambridge Amy Humphris, Department of Management, London School of Economics and Political Science Morris M. Kleiner, University of Minnesota Sue Fernie, Department of Management, London School of Economics and Political Science Mark B. Stewart, Department of Economics, University of Warwick Alan Manning, Department of Economics, London School of Economics and Political Science Stephen Machin, Department of Economics, University College London Anna Vignoles, Department of Quantitative Social Science, Institute of Education, University of London John Roberts, Graduate School of Business, Stanford University Maria Koumenta, Business School, Oxford Brookes University Richard Disney, Nottingham University