Seminar paper

The purpose: assessment of how labour market policies are addressing labour market problems in a
selected country

The seminar paper about 12-15 pages, will assess labour market policies at the national level
(or,eventually regional, local) level, by choice of the students.


It will consist from 3 parts:

Introduction (the purpose, the method)

1 Analysis of the problems in the labour market, the challenges (the level and profile of
unemployment, the causes, the most affected groups)

2 Assessment of the policies at place: how they respond the problems (the scope of ALMPs, the
tools, their adequacy, targeting, quality).

3 Final assessment, recommendations.


Sources:

Data – OECD Employment database, available studies on the specific country policies, national data,
Eurostat database where appropriate, ILO database, a.o.

Structure:

1 Problems in the labour market

Data to be used (students can supplement with other data):

Unemployment rates during past 5 years, numbers/rates of vacancies,(+ Beveridge curve for 5 pat
years), GDP growth in past 5 years, Employment rates in past 5 years (all individual years)

Specific unemployment rates (last year and change during past 5 years – compare with data 5 years
before):  breakdowns by sex, age, education level

Share of long-term unemployment, average duration of unemployment by sex and age (and change during
5 years)

Interpretation of data: what problems you identify in labour market? Cyclical, structural component
– how significant? Groups affected? Trends?

2 ALMP measures and how these address the problems

Data to be used (students can supplement with other data):

Expenditure as % of GDP and participants as % of labour force in ALMP measures during part 5 years
(all years)

Expenditure as % of GDP and participants as % of labour force in individual ALMP measures during
part years, breakdown by individual types of measures (follow OECD typology)

(Employment Protection Legislation indexes, at least last year available)

Interpretation based on assessment of the scope of the measures and coverage, quality (indicated by
expenditure per 1% of labour force participants) and/or design of measures if data available,
appropriate structure of the types of measures, targeting at vulnerable groups like long-term
unemployed etc. if data available, implementation (depending on data available) – e.g. caseloads on
front-line workers in public employment services and similar.

How the measures address the problems identified in part 1?

3 Assessment and policy proposals

Consider what could be recommended considering the problems in the labour market on the one hand
and the characteristics of the policies on the other hand. What could be improved, provide
recommendations.