Labour Market Mobility In Nordic Welfare States

Analyserer arbejdskraftens mobilitet i Danmark, Finland, Norge og Sverige i perioden 2000-2006

The report focuses on labour market mobility during the period 2000-2006 in four Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. The purpose is to study rates and determinants of mobility and how differences in the institutional settings in the four countries affect mobility outcomes. Especially, the institutional mix that is contained in the concept "flexicurity" has been in focus. Mobility types studied are: Transitions between labour market statuses. Transitions into and out of atypical employment. Workplace mobility, occupational mobility and mobility between industries. Data used are the Labour Force Surveys (LFS). Their panel structure has been utilized to measure changes in labour market situation after one year. The main conclusion is that the Danish flexicurity nexus leads to high mobility rates on the labour market. However, the study reveals high levels also in Norway. In general, Finland and Sweden shows lower mobility rates than the two other countries.

Discusses important aspects of the development of the welfare state in the Scandinavian countries and Iceland since the mid-1970s. It focuses on societal changes during a period of modest economic growth. Topics include labour market benefits, education and social mobility, class and inequality, income distribution and trajectories and health.

This important sequel to Nordic Social Policy (Routledge 1999) compares welfare state development over the last twenty years in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden with that of Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and other Western European countries. Topics covered include: * income distribution, health inequalities and gender equality * gender policies, health and social care services and policy reaction to family changes * social security and employment policies * financing of welfare states. In the context of globalisation, ageing populations, changing employment patterns and rising inequalities, Nordic Welfare States in the European Context offers an empirical analysis of welfare adaptations and a lively discussion of the historical development of European social policy. It finds a greater ambiguity regarding variation and trends than is commonly suggested. Contrary to expectation, there is little evidence of the Europeanisation of Nordic welfare states, rather the reverse. The comparable and empirical data used in this study make it a unique contribution to understanding current trends in European social policy.

By focusing on developments in the Nordic welfare states during the past decade, Nordic Social Policy provides new insights into the evolution of welfare state measures and generally assesses the peoples health in Sweden, Finland, Norway and Denmark. This comparative work includes chapters on *the changed preconditions of welfare policies *changes in the welfare measures *developments in the welfare of the people *developments in public support for the welfare states.

In international welfare state scholarship and political discourse the Nordic Model has become a standard concept. But how precise is the concept and to what extent do the five Nordic countries fit into this overall pattern? In this book a group of Nordic historians trace the historical origins and developments of welfare in the five Nordic countries. The aim of this book is to modify the standard concept by emphasizing both the common features and the variations between them. As a work hypothesis the authors regard "Norden" as a model with five exceptions. The articles in this book are all written by historians who have worked within the framework of a Nordic research project operating under the title The Nordic Welfare-Model - a Historical reappraisal.

In 1954 the Nordic countries entered a formal agreement on free labour mobility. Migration profiles have changed very much over the years since then. The Nordic agreement on free mobility is however still a clear advantage, both for the affected individuals and for the participating countries. The report contains a survey of earlier studies of the impact from the Nordic labour market agreement, followed by a broad description of the actual mobility over the 50 years since 1954. Next, the report surveys the actual factors behind the intra-Nordic mobility with special emphasis on cyclical differences between the countries. This is followed by in-depth analyses of characteristics of intra-Nordic migrants compared with people migrating out of the Nordic area. The report contains a survey of earlier studies of the impact from the Nordic labour market agreement, followed by a broad description of the actual mobility over the 50 years since 1954. Next, the report surveys the actual factors behind the intra-Nordic mobility with special emphasis on cyclical differences between the countries. This is followed by in-depth analyses of characteristics of intra-Nordic migrants compared with people migrating out of the Nordic area.

Nordic welfare states are known for a unique combination of equity and efficiency and for political institutions facilitating compromise and consensus between conflicting interests. The Nordic Welfare State in Three Eras: From Emancipation to Discipline analyses the historical and contemporary evolution of Nordic welfare states in Denmark, Sweden and Finland during three periods: the developmental period until the end of WWII, the period of emancipatory welfare institutions until the 1980s, and the period of restructuring from the 1980s until present times. The three eras discussed are shared in one way or another by all welfare states. However, Nordic welfare institutions are unique in the sense that they were particularly compatible with the ideas of Keynesian macro-economic management that constituted the blueprint of international economic ideas during the post-war period. This ground-breaking book will show how preceding emancipating elements of Nordic welfare states were largely lost in the process of renegotiating the post-war social order, and replaced by new elements of discipline and control.