Year 2011-12
Employment creation policies and the labour market (21689)
Qualification: Degree in Political and Administration sciences
Year: 3rd and 4th
Term: 2nd
Number of ECTS credits: 4
Hours of student dedication: 100
Teaching language: English
Teacher: Luis Ortiz
1. Introduction to the course
The aims of this course are to acquire a good knowledge of recent developments in labour markets in OECD countries and the main problems labour markets currently face, to make a comparative analysis of different policies designed to cope with them and finally to address the situation of groups that suffer from a weak position in the labour market (i.e. women and ethnic minorities). In addition the course familiarise students with the concepts and indicators generally used to assess labour markets and employment policies.
The transition from Fordism to Post-Fordism (and from Industrial to Post-Industrial societies) has generally entailed a dilemma between unemployment and inequality. For many societies, such a dilemma has turned unemployment into a central challenge for governments. After a historical revision of the evolution of labour markets in Europe and the national institutions that shape entry into the labour market, the course will explore the determinants and levels of unemployment in comparative perspective. It will analyse different policies carried out to fight unemployment and the results they have had. The situation of women and ethnic minorities will be especially addressed in the last two weeks of the course.
2. Competences to be achieved
Generic competencies to develop over the course:
- Ability to think analytically and synthesize
- Problem-solving capabilities
- Ability to think critically about student's own arguments as well as about others' arguments, either written or orally stated.
- Ability to inform oneself on a topic and carry out research on it.
Competencies specifically related to the course:
- Acquaintance with the historical dimension of social and political processes
o The student should acquire a good knowledge of the historical developments that have led to current labour markets in OECD countries, and the main problems they face.
- Ability to assess institutions, processes and policies in a comparative perspective
o The student is expected to acquire the ability to make comparative analysis of different policies designed to cope with the above problems and be able to address the situation of groups that suffer from a particularly weak position in the labour market (i.e. women and ethnic minorities).
- Ability to recognise the economic environment and the economic dimension of the public sector
o Such a competence is implicit in the role the State obviously plays in the design and implementation of labour market policies
3. Contents
General introduction
Week 1. Historical introduction: from Industrial to Post-Industrial Societies. The dilemmas of current labour markets and Varieties of Capitalism
Week 2. Occupational change: Technological change and new skills in the global economy
Globalisation and unemployment
Week 3. International trade, off-shoring and unemployment
National institutions
Week 4. Collective bargaining
Week 5. Education systems and the transition from school to work
Main issues and national policies
Week 6. Unemployment: cross-national view and passive labour market policies
Week 7. Active labour market policies
Week 8. Flexibility, atypical employment and labour market segmentation
Analysis of groups especially vulnerable to unemployment
Week 9. Gender: Gender gap in employment, atypical employment and earnings in cross-national perspective
Week 10. Ethnic minorities: structural, economic and institutional causes of ethnic labour market segregation.
4. Assessment
The final mark will be based on a 0 to 10 scale.
- 50% of the mark will be based on students' performances in a final exam, based on lecture materials and basic readings (see below).
- 30% of the mark will be based on students' participation in seminars held almost every week during the course.
- 20% of the mark will be based on a written research piece on unemployment levels and policies in a selected country.
5. Bibliography and other resources
The following basic readings are compulsory for the exam.
5.1. Basic bibliography
- Bradley D. H. & Stephens, J. D. (2007) "Employment Performance in OECD Countries. A Test of Neoliberal and Institutionalist Hypotheses." Comparative Political Studies, 40(12): 1486-1510.
- Esping-Andersen, G. Social Foundations of Postindustrial Economies. Oxford University Press. Chapter 6 (pp. 99-119).
- Hall, Peter A., and David Soskice. 2001. "An introduction to Varieties of Capitalism." in Varieties of Capitalism, edited by Peter A. Hall y David Soskice. Oxford: Oxford University Press. (pp. 1-70)
- Lindbeck, A. & Snower, D.J. (2001) "Insiders versus Outsiders", The Journal of Economic Perspectives, 15(1): 165-188
- Polavieja, J. (2005) "Flexibility or polarization? Temporary employment and job tasks in Spain", Socio-Economic Review 3(2): 233-258
- Wright, E. O. & Dwyer, R. 2003. "The patterns of job expansions in the USA: A comparison of the 1960s and 1990s". Socio-Economic Review 1: 289-325.
5.2. Other resources
The didactic resources for the course are the readings to be discussed in each of the seminars held during the course. They will be made available to the students on-line and will appear in a syllabus made public at the beginning of the course. In addition students are expected to use the following statistical databases to gather empirical evidence for the written research (essay) mentioned above:
- OECD stats: http://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx
- ILO : http://laborsta.ilo.org/
- EUROSTAT : http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/statistics/themes
- EURYDICE: http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/education/eurydice/eurybase_en.php
- EIRO: http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/eiro/
The databases should provide students with evidence on the levels of unemployment in the country they have selected for their research, the policies designed to cope with it and the incidence of unemployment among the different groups (women, ethnic minorities) that are more vulnerable to unemployment.
6. Methodology
The course is structured into lectures and seminars. Each week will be devoted to a topic, which will also be the topic of a subsequent seminar. A question for discussion will be provided for each seminar. This question should guide and focus the readings for the seminar. They will be set out in the course syllabus made public to students at the beginning of the course.
Alongside the lectures and seminars students are expected to write a brief research essay on the level and characteristics of unemployment in a given country, the active and passive policies that have been designed to cope with it, and, finally, the incidence of unemployment among women and immigrants. The structure of the research essay should broadly follow the structure of the programme. Students are expected to rely on the statistical databases mentioned above.
7. Programme of activities
|
Week |
Ses |
Type |
Contents of the session |
Student work during the week |
||||
|
Learning activity |
Hrs in class |
Hrs not in class |
||||||
|
In class |
Autonomous work |
|||||||
|
Iª |
1 |
T |
Historical introduction |
follow lecture, answer the lecturer's question, contribute to interpreting graphs and tables |
|
2 |
|
|
|
2 |
T |
Special session on concepts |
follow lecture, answer the lecturer's question, contribute to interpreting graphs and tables |
1 |
||||
|
IIª |
3 |
T |
Occupational change |
follow lecture, answer the lecturer's question, contribute to interpreting graphs and tables |
Critical reading of the texts for the next seminar Research the selected national case study |
2 |
5 |
|
|
4 |
S |
Introduction to statistical databases |
Explore the statistical databases available in the library with the lecturer and practice with them |
1 |
||||
|
IIIª |
5 |
T |
International trade, Offshoring and unemployment |
follow lecture, answer the lecturer's question, contribute to interpreting graphs and tables |
Critical reading of the texts for the next seminar Research the selected national case study + get tables and graphs about it |
2 |
5 |
|
|
6 |
S |
Seminar on 'Occupational Change' |
Discuss critically the readings assigned for the seminar and used them to reason an answer to the seminar question |
2 |
||||
|
IVª |
7 |
T |
Collective bargaining |
follow lecture, answer the lecturer's question, contribute to interpreting graphs and tables |
Critical reading of the texts for the next seminar Research the selected national case study + get tables and graphs about it |
2 |
5 |
|
|
8 |
S |
Seminar on 'International trade, Offshoring and unemployment' |
Discuss critically the readings assigned for the seminar and used them to reason an answer to the seminar question |
2 |
||||
|
Vª |
9 |
T |
Educational systems and the transition to work |
follow lecture, answer the lecturer's question, contribute to interpreting graphs and tables |
Critical reading of the texts for the next seminar Research the selected national case study + get tables and graphs about it |
2 |
5 |
|
|
10 |
S |
Seminar on 'Collective bargaining' |
Discuss critically the readings assigned for the seminar and used them to reason an answer to the seminar question |
2 |
||||
|
VIª |
11 |
T |
Unemployment: cross-national analysis and passive policies |
follow lecture, answer the lecturer's question, contribute to interpreting graphs and tables |
Critical reading of the text for the next seminar Research the selected national case study + get tables and graphs about it |
2 |
5 |
|
|
12 |
S |
Seminar on 'Systems of education and training' |
Discuss critically the readings assigned for the seminar and used them to reason an answer to the seminar question |
2 |
||||
|
VIIª |
13 |
T |
Active labour market policies |
follow lecture, answer the lecturer's question, contribute to interpreting graphs and tables |
Critical reading of the texts for the next seminar Research the selected national case study + get tables and graphs about it |
2 |
5 |
|
|
14 |
S |
Seminar on 'Cross-national variation in unemployment and current crisis' |
Discuss critically the readings assigned for the seminar and used them to reason an answer to the seminar question |
2 |
||||
|
VIIIª |
15 |
T |
Flexibility, atypical employment and labour market segmentation |
follow lecture, answer the lecturer's question, contribute to interpreting graphs and tables |
Critical reading of the texts for the next seminar Research the selected national case study + get tables and graphs about it Prepare the public presentation for next week |
2 |
10 |
|
|
16 |
S |
Seminar on 'Flexibility and labour market segmentation' |
Discuss critically the readings assigned for the seminar and used them to reason an answer to the seminar question |
2 |
||||
|
IXª |
17 |
T |
Gender gap in employment |
follow lecture, answer the lecturer's question, contribute to interpreting graphs and tables |
Critical reading of the texts for the next seminar Research the selected national case study + get tables and graphs about it |
2 |
5 |
|
|
18 |
S |
Presentation of research on national case studies |
Discuss critically the readings assigned for the seminar and used them to reason an answer to the seminar question |
2 |
||||
|
Xª |
19 |
T |
Ethnic minorities |
follow lecture, answer the lecturer's question, contribute to interpreting graphs and tables |
Critical reading of the text for the next seminar
|
2 |
2 |
|
|
20 |
S |
Seminar on 'Immigration and unemployment in host countries' |
Discuss critically the readings assigned for the seminar and used them to reason an answer to the seminar question |
2 |
||||
|
Hours of work: Subtotal |
38 |
48 |
||||||
|
XIª XIIª |
Hours dedicated to final exam preparation |
10 10 |
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|
TOTAL HOURS FOR THE COURSE |
100 |
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Ses: nº of session; Type: type of session, T (theoretical), S (seminar).