Social Protection vs. Economic Flexibility: Is There a Tradeoff?Rebecca M. Blank As the Clinton administration considers major overhauls in health insurance, welfare, and labor market regulation, it is important for economists and policymakers to understand the impact of social and welfare programs on employment rates. This volume explores how programs such as social security, income transfers, and child care in Western Europe, the United States, and Japan have affected labor market flexibility—the ability of workers to adjust to fast-growing segments of the economy. Does tying health insurance to employment limit job mobility? Do housing policies inhibit workers from moving to new jobs in different areas? What are the effects of daycare and maternity leave policies on working mothers? The authors explore these and many other questions in an effort to understand why European unemployment rates are so high compared with the U.S. rate. Through an examination of diverse data sets across different countries, the authors find that social protection programs do not strongly affect labor market flexibility. A valuable comparison of labor markets and welfare programs, this book demonstrates how social protection policies have affected employment rates around the globe. |
Contents
| 1 | |
1 Evaluating the Connection between Social Protection and Economic Flexibility | 21 |
2 Trends in Social Protection Programs and Expenditures in the 1980s | 43 |
3 Does Employment Protection Inhibit Labor Market Flexibility? Lessons from Germany France and Belgium | 59 |
The United States versus Japan | 95 |
5 Housing Market Regulations and Housing Market Performance in the United States Germany and Japan | 119 |
6 Health Insurance Provision and Labor Market Efficiency in the United States and Germany | 157 |
The United States Japan and Sweden | 189 |
The United States versus the United Kingdom | 223 |
9 Does Public Health Insurance Reduce Labor Market Flexibility or Encourage the Underground Economy? Evidence from Spain and the United Sta... | 265 |
The United States versus France | 301 |
The United States the Netherlands and Sweden | 333 |
Contributors | 363 |
| 365 | |
| 371 | |
Other editions - View all
Social Protection vs. Economic Flexibility: Is There a Tradeoff? Rebecca M. Blank Limited preview - 2009 |
Social Protection vs. Economic Flexibility: Is There a Tradeoff? Rebecca M. Blank No preview available - 1994 |
Common terms and phrases
analysis average Belgium benefits business cycle changes child reaches age childcare coefficients columns costs coverage differences dummy earnings effects employers equation estimates European eviction control evidence expenditures firms France gross domestic product GSOEP health insurance homeownership subsidies hours adjustment households housing market impact income increase indicates individuals industry Japan Japanese job lock labor force participation labor market flexibility married measure ment migration mobility monthly National Netherlands nomic OECD paper participation rates payments payroll tax pension percent population prefecture private sector probit production provides public sector regression relative rent and eviction response retirement sector employment sector wages short-time significant single parents social protection social protection programs social security tax Spain spouse statistically substantial Survey Sweden tenants tenure three countries tion trends U.S. dollars unemployed unemployment insurance unemployment rates United Kingdom welfare West Germany women youngest child reaches