News
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Unemployment can be defined away
The definition of employment and unemployment differs from country to country. A comparative historical perspective shows the political context – how the problem is presented and how its constituent parts change – steers our understanding. The standard views of employment are no longer relevant in countries like the US or France, according to social historian…
5 minutes -
OECD: Norway trumps sick leave costs of all industrial countries
Norway’s unemployment is low and employment is high. But the costs related to sick leave and early retirement are double that of the OECD country average based on GDP according to the OECD Economic Survey of Norway.
3 minutes
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The Commission wants to exclude small businesses from working environment rules
In the Nordic countries small businesses must follow the same working environment rules as big businesses. Now the EU Commission wants to ease the regulations for smaller businesses.
3 minutes -
OECD: health sector Finland’s problem
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s economic survey of Finland shows the country has done well during the debt crisis which has hit many Eurozone members. The country is not facing any imminent crisis, but needs a comprehensive reform of the state health sector.
2 minutes -
Danes need to increase productivity
The Danish economy is only slowly and very unevenly recovering from the financial crisis which is sweeping across most of Europe, says the OECD. Productivity growth is one of the main problems.
1 minute -
ILO warns of global employment crisis
The economic crisis which began in 2008 has turned into a global employment crisis. 27 million people have become unemployed since the start of the downturn. 400 million jobs must be created in the next decade in order to keep up with an increasing global population.
2 minutes
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Nordic cooperation for 2012 focuses on broad participation
The welfare state in a Nordic perspective is the theme for Norway’s 2012 presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers. One priority will be the inclusion of exposed social groups in the labour market. The social partners will be important contributors during the presidency.
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What do border obstacles cost the Nordic region?
Is it possible to calculate how much the Nordic countries are loosing because of the many remaining border obstacles affecting the labour market? According to Copenhagen Economics no border obstacles would mean 3,000 to 6,000 more cross-border commuters. If all of them came out of unemployment it would save 4.2bn Danish kroner (€56m).
3 minutes
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British unions on the warpath
“This is just the beginning,” said union leader Len McCluskey when nearly two million public sector workers joined the UK’s largest strike in 30 years. On 30 November schools, hospitals, docks and airports were hit.
7 minutes
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Collective bargaining under pressure as union membership plummets
Danes – especially young men – abandon trade unions with record speed new figures show. Experts believe it can undermine the social partners’ self regulation – the so-called flexicurity model.
3 minutes