Christine Erhel

The Dynamics of Social and Labour Market Policies in France and the United Kingdom: Between Path Dependence and Convergence

Significant social and labour market policy reforms have taken place in most European countries since the beginning of the 1990s. These changes warrant an examination of the dynamics of differing national models from two opposing analytical perspectives: path dependence (signifying that initial differences persist) and convergence (merging towards a single model). This article compares the national models in France and the UK. Fundamental principles of social protection and labour market policy in each country were contrasting in the early 1990s; however, both experienced numerous reforms at the end of the 1990s and the beginning of the 2000s. We show that although the UK and France stick to differentiated institutional paths, nevertheless, some convergence towards job supply-oriented employment and social policies emerges at the end of the period. Therefore, path dependence theory appears to be highly significant in understanding the dynamics of national regimes, but this reference should be amended to include other forms of change that enable a functional convergence of initially differing systems. Neoinstitutionalist theory, in particular North’s work (North, 1990), is likely to underpin this more general framework to include insights into the role of informal factors, especially ideas.

Labor Market Regimes, Family Policies, and Women's Behavior in the EU

Using the EU-SILC database (2005–06) for twenty-four European countries, this article develops a comparative perspective on labor market situations of women and mothers with very young children in relation to labor market institutions and policies (especially childcare and leave schemes). Using multilevel multinomial logit models, our results show firstly the heterogeneity of national arrangements of womens labor market integration in Europe (including among new member states). Secondly, our results show the links between some national policy variables and womens behavior, despite the fact that individual factors explain labor market situations the most. Womens employment is positively related to formal childcare and to characteristics of national labor market regimes. The use of informal childcare is associated with lower womens employment rates, which might be explained by a substitution effect. The employment rate of mothers with very young children is positively related to public childcare and negatively to parental leave.

Job Quality and Labour Market Performance

Job quality is a multidimensional concept, but the empirical analysis of job quality in Europe leads to three main types of result. First, it reveals important differences across countries, with four main regimes prevalent in Europe. Second, it supports the hypothesis that a higher level of job quality is associated with better labour market and economic performance. Finally, it emphasises the heterogeneity of quality across social groups, especially according to gender, age, and education.

Work and care regimes and women’s employment outcomes

Using a gender perspective and a comparative approach, this paper assesses the extent to which national care regimes and family policies interact and impact upon female employment outcomes. We rest ...

The French Middle Class and the Labour Market

France is one of the European countries where the middle class defined according to an income based approach has been relatively numerous and stable since 1990. Our analysis confirms the hypothesis that the French labour market features a significant dualism: compared to lower-income groups, the middle class is relatively protected from unemployment and from the worsening of working conditions. Several reasons may explain this relative stability: occupational dynamics,the labour force participation trend, and social regulations.

Transformation in the world of work and the middle class: The French experience

While recent studies have highlighted the phenomenon and risks of increased inequalities between the top and the bottom of society, little research has so far been carried out on trends relating to the median income range that generally represents the middle class. This volume examines the following questions: what are the main transformations in the world of work over the last 20 years in terms of the labour market, social dialogue, and conditions of work, wages and incomes that may have affected the middle class? How has the middle class been altered by the financial and economic crisis? What are the long-term trends for the middle class in Europe?

In search of a European Employment Strategy: The construction of the ‘job quality’ agenda as an illustrative case

The European Employment Strategy is a key pillar of risk management at the European level. The ‘job quality’ agenda is a good illustration of the construction of an important component of the European Employment Strategy, in terms of its conception and implementation. The purpose of this chapter is to explore the evolution of this agenda. It shows that the process around job quality is characterised by strong hesitations at the European level, but also by a semi-autonomous process, which can be described as a bottom-up, deepening of the issue. The hesitations at the European level can be understood as the result of competing agendas – the ‘flexibilisation’ agenda promoted by the OECD and the IMF, and the ‘Decent Work’ agenda promoted by the ILO. Job quality has also been a fluctuating priority for social partners. But some actors at different levels seem to have committed themselves to a deepening process, as illustrated by some initiatives taken at national or regional level.

Délocalisations, normes du travail et politique d'emploi. Vers une mondialisation plus juste?, Peter Auer, Geneviève Besse, Dominique Méda. La Découverte, Paris (2005), (dirs)

La mondialisation constitue un defi majeur pour les politiques de l’emploi, qui ont ete developpees dans un cadre national, et dans un contexte desormais revolu de faible mobilite des facteurs de production. Au-dela du debat tres mediatise sur les pertes d’emplois induites par les delocalisations, l’ouvrage coordonne par Peter Auer, Genevieve Besse et Dominique Meda a pour originalite de presenter une reflexion systematique sur les renouvellements necessaires des modes de gouvernance de l’emp...