The Belgian labour market is still insufficiently capable of fulfilling its crucial economic, budgetary and social role. Occasional cyclical improvements notwithstanding, the labour market remains structurally below par. Structural reforms are necessary to improve social inclusion and to ensure a successful response to ageing and globalization through a better labour market for all.
The Itinera Institute offers interested readers a selection of recent and topical publications and presentations from external sources, with a relevant angle towards the Institute’s key issues for Belgium. The selection is updated regularly and readers have the opportunity to stay on track through RSS for each issue. The selection in no way reflects a policy preference on behalf of the institute and is done for information purposes only.
Suggestions for publications or presentations are welcome and can be sent to info@itinerainstitute.org
Privatization and changes in the wage structure
21 November 2008
| With the financial crisis and the government’s subsequent increased role in the economy, the question whether to privatize firms or not is certainly as relevant now as it was under Thatcher. The first to be affected by those kinds of decisions are the workers of the considered firms. This IZA publication for example found that wage and wage growth distributions widened significantly after privatization. The central questions really remain however who the winners and the losers are and why? |
Active labour market policy: synergies and trade-offs
17 November 2008
| What benefits can be attained from an active labour market policy? Author Røed investigates and found that an active labour market policy is not only good for finding a job, but also for the quality of the job found. Choices still need to be made though: higher unemployment benefits, for example, increase the quality of the found job, but also the length of the period of unemployment. Activation measures boost the probability of finding a job quickly, but diminish its expected allowance. |
The Global Gender Gap
17 November 2008
| We hear a lot of talking on the wage disparities between men and women, about the low proportion of women in the higher political and economic realms, and about their growing access to education. But what is the actual situation today? This report from the World Economic Forum investigates gender inequalities in more than 115 countries, Belgium included. |
Low education level and position on the labour market
17 November 2008
| How can a low education level influence one’s working conditions and probability to keep a job? This report from the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions investigates how low-skilled workers position themselves on the labour market in the 27 EU member states. Not surprisingly, education and training has to be encouraged before and during one’s career, says the report. This way, we can stabilize the employment rate, improve social mobility and increase our economic competitivity. |
Effect of tax reduction on job vacancy and unemployment
10 November 2008
| The unemployment rate in Belgium remains relatively high with respect to other European countries. However, some job vacancies are still open. This nota realized by the KUL analyses the possibility of reducing fiscal pressure in order to solve these two issues. It also makes a comparison between Belgium and Denmark by examining the influence some factors like education and transfers may have on the unemployment rate. |
