A number of studies have shown that long-term unemployment is not only personally damaging in loss of immediate earnings, but that it also severely affects future employment prospects. One study showed that a spell of one month, on average, permanently reduces earnings by 1%, a spell of six months by 5%, and a spell of one year by 11%. As a result of alarming figures such as these, several leading European employment experts have begun to focus research pertaining to the overall European Employment Strategy on developing measures designed to address the special issues of long-term unemployment. This ground-breaking book presents incisive studies by sixteen leading academics, labour policymakers, employment services professionals, and employment researchers from Italy, the United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, Belgium, and Poland. Among the relevant factors investigated are the following:

early identification of unemployment;

active individualised contacts by employment services;

improvement of public employment services processes;

partnership between public and private employment services; and

cooperation between employment services and unemployment benefit organisations. The articles provide an excellent overview of employment services experience throughout the EU, and demonstrate that careful application of active labour market measures can produce positive results in combating long-term unemployment. Notable for its emphasis on the proven power of cooperation among various stakeholders in reducing unemployment, New European Approaches to Long-Term Unemployment will be a welcome resource for employment services both public and private, other public labour and employment organisations, and employers, as well as to academics, lawyers, and other interested professionals.

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