Supporting Disadvantaged Young People into Work: Insights from the Capability Approach

The Capability Approach (CA) offers a perspective on the employment activation of young people that is concerned with their freedom to make choices that they value rather than focusing solely on outcomes, such as having to take any job. It incorporates empowerment and the individual and external conversion factors that influence the conversion of resources into functionings for young people, such as getting a job that they value. This article considers the implications of using the CA as a lens for analyzing youth activation polices. A more capability informed approach to employment activation would not measure success solely by the transition into work, but rather by whether it has improved the young person's capabilities, and might focus, for example, on more sustainable and valued careers and develop individuals' freedom of choice in the labour market. Using data from two UK case studies of third sector organizations that support young people into work, it explores these issues empirically, including the extent to which these employment activation programmes, in their current form, can enhance the capabilities of beneficiaries. Conclusions on the implications of a CA for employment activation are made.     

From Transitional to Permanent Uncertainty: Employability of Middle‐aged Workers in Hong Kong

Since the 1990s, Hong Kong has experienced increasing economic uncertainty. Middle‐aged workers, who often have little formal education and limited skills, have been the first casualties of economic restructuring. Initially, their unemployment was considered transitional. Limited government‐sponsored retraining programs were expected to improve their employability. Subsequent economic crises, however, have undercut the hopes of both workers and policy‐makers. Despite improvements in the job market since the mid‐2000s, the belief that unemployment was transitional has been replaced by a permanent state of uncertainty and consequent anxiety. Flexibility is considered the key to sustaining economic growth, and would relieve the insecurity and anxiety associated with unemployment. Policies have been modified, but they are still based on a narrowly defined concept of individual employability, which consolidates the sense of uncertainty. To address the factors contributing to the perception of permanent uncertainty among middle‐aged workers, we advocate a pragmatic approach that takes reference from the notion of flexicurity to mitigate this sense of uncertainty.     

大学生创业的失业风险规避研究

大学生创业存在着潜在的失业风险,将这些风险细分为管理风险、项目选择风险、团队存续风险、法律风险、经济波动风险等,分析了大学生创业后失业对大学生个人、家庭以及社会所造成的不利影响,提出通过加强大学生创业的风险教育,建设大学生创业教育实践基地,建立大学生创业的失业预警系统,健全大学生创业的失业保障体系等对策,来抵御大学生创业的失业风险。     

当前社会养老保险工作中存在的问题及解决的对策

当前我国已经在全国范围内基本建立了以社会保险、救灾救济为重点,以城镇职工基本养老保险、基本医疗保险、失业保险、工伤保险、生育保险、城乡居民最低生活保障等为主要内容的社会保障体系。但是,由于我国各项社会保障制度建立时间还不长,体系尚不完善,保障水平还比较底,存在个别困难职工参保困难、养老保险政策不完善、个别居民参保热情不高、城乡居民养老保险起点低等问题。为此,应当采取如下措施,进一步完善现行社会养老保险制度：建立广范围、多层次的社会养老保险体系;进一步提高城乡居民参加养老保险的意识;继续完善现行的社会养老保险体制;不断提高社会养老保险队伍的整体素质;积极探索新形势下社会养老保险的新途径。     

中国失业阶段性转换特点及对策研究

近20多年,中国的失业经历了由隐性失业向显性失业的转化,为此,中国承受了巨大的总量失业的压力。而从发展趋势看,中国总量失业将会逐渐减压,而结构性失业将日益突显,同时外生性失业弱化,内生性失业强化。因此,在政策层面上,必须对中国失业阶段性转换特点给予密切的关注,并不失时机地将总量控制为主的就业政策转向结构控制为主的就业政策。     

中国失业问题的贝弗里奇曲线分析

中国的失业问题不能简单地理解为劳动力的超额供给,表示失业和空缺岗位关系的贝弗里奇曲线更能解释现今普遍存在的结构性失业与摩擦性失业现象。贝弗里奇曲线既可以用来区别失业的类型,还可以反映劳动力市场运作效率的变化。本文通过贝弗里奇曲线位移的分析,着重从工作搜寻活动、产业结构调整及劳动力队伍中人口年龄结构变化三方面分析了中国劳动力市场供需双方的匹配效率是如何影响失业的。本文的研究结论对于中国如何提高供需双方的匹配效率从而抑制大量失业与大量空缺岗位并存的现象、降低自然失业率有一定的参考价值。     

Shifts in attitudes and labor market discrimination: Swedish experiences after 9-11

We present longitudinal survey data suggesting that the terrorist attacks in the USA on September 11, 2001, changed attitudes toward certain minorities in Sweden. This finding is consistent with results in previous studies. To investigate whether this change in attitudes also affected the labor market situation of these minorities, we study unemployment exit around 9-11 using detailed data on the entire Swedish working-age population. Contrary to what may be expected from many theories of labor market discrimination, the time pattern of exits and entries for different ethnic groups, as well as difference-in-differences analyses, shows no sign of increased discrimination toward these minorities. A possible explanation for this result is that employers act rationally in their hiring decisions and do not respond to changes in attitudes toward immigrants as a group.

失业保险给付期限差异下的失业持续时间研究

本文对享受不同失业保险给付期限的失业者的失业持续时间差异进行了实证研究。根据工作搜寻理论,应用存活分析方法建立了含有失业保险给付期限因素的失业持续时间模型,并对青岛市失业者登记数据进行了实证研究。结果表明:享受失业保险者的失业持续时间明显长于不享受失业保险者的失业持续时间,在失业保险给付额度相同的条件下,失业保险给付期限与失业持续时间成同向变动关系。     

正确认识结构性失业 积极推进大学生就业

在当前全球金融危机的大环境下,大学生的就业压力普遍增大,就业问题更成为当今社会讨论的一个热点问题.高等学校应及时引导大学生,使他们能够正确分析形势,理性认识金融危机对就业带来的负面影响正确认识结构性失业;高等学校做好大学生的就业指导对于大学生自身的成才和就业以及社会的稳定和发展具有重要意义,采取有效措施切实指导好大学生就业是当前高校亟待加强的重要工作.     

金融危机下汇率变动对失业率变动的相关性研究

在当前国际金融危机下,汇率对经济的影响,已从直接的进出口贸易行业深入到了其他非贸易性的行业;汇率的波动,在一定程度上,也影响到了宏观经济的波动,进而使得国家的投资、产出和消费受到了影响,这种传导机制最终会带来就业的冲击。通过对最新数据的线性回归分析发现,当前主要国家(地区)汇率的波动性对失业产生重要影响。