Search results

Welfare, work, and welfare-to-work in the UK / Andreas Cebulla and Robert Walker -- The road to Britain's "New Deal" / Andreas Cebulla -- The use of evidence in designing the "New Deal" / Andreas Cebulla -- Workfare evaluations and meta-analysis / David Greenberg and Karl Ashworth -- A description of US welfare-to-work programmes / Karl Ashworth and David Greenberg -- Determining what works and for how long / David Greenberg and Robert Walker -- Looking over the fence : findings from other UK and US programme reviews / Andreas Cebulla -- Lessons for welfare policy and research / Andreas Cebulla and David Greenberg

Debates about the Global Financial Crisis of 2007 have pointed at institutional and individual-behavioural factors as its causes. Using the British Household Panel Survey, this article highlights marked differences in perceptions of societal and economic fairness among financial services employees in investment or management positions in the United Kingdom and the general working population at the brink of the Global Financial Crisis. Panel data analysis suggests that financial services and occupations did not necessarily attract employees with pro-market attitudes, but that employment in these institutions and occupations made it more likely that employees came to display these perceptions, contributing to the construction of a distinct attitudinal profile of finance employees.

Discusses problems that are likely to arise in the identification of support schemes & service cost estimations that local authorities in GB must provide before the Apr 2003 replacement of current arrangements with a new support budget. It is maintained that the proposed tightening of Housing Benefit calculations will decrease entitlements to most claimants in supported accommodations, & who represent the poorest segment of the population, & care must be taken to prevent undue financial hardship & to protect tenants in schemes that will receive no funding under the new budget. A description of the reform proposals is followed by a discussion of difficulties local authorities face in identifying Housing Benefit claimants in supported accommodation; the complexities involved in assessing the amount of eligible/ineligible charges; & the potential impact of the proposed changes on claimant entitlements. Although the new "Supporting People" funding regime rightfully acknowledges the need for improved coordination between the various bodies involved, further reform is needed to address unresolved issues like the increasing deterioration of housing choices for persons with special needs. 10 References. J. Lindroth

AbstractSkilled migration is an important strategy in developed economies seeking to address skills shortages and population ageing. Research on the labour market outcomes of skilled migrants tends to focus on employers' devaluation of skills without considering the role of immigration policy in the migration process. Moreover, there is little understanding of whether efforts to meet employer demands for local qualifications improve labour market outcomes. Drawing on a study on skilled migrants sponsored under the State‐Specific and Regional Migration Scheme in the regional state of South Australia, we explore the shaping of skills and skills recognition in the migration journey, particularly migrants' strategy of reskilling in response to employer demands for local qualifications. Our logistic regressions on the association between the acquisition of Australian qualifications and labour market outcomes reveal only marginal returns to these efforts. We argue that Australia should consider developing a more coherent skilled migration process to better harness the human capital of skilled migrants.

Background: An ageing workforce is a challenge for businesses that are increasingly expected to adapt workplaces to enable employees to remain in work longer. Emerging evidence highlights employer practices to attract or retain older workers. This paper explores employers' motivations for introducing measures to accommodate an older workforce in three European case study countries. Objectives: The objective is to illustrate and understand different approaches to, and stages in, adjusting workplaces to accommodate an ageing workforce. Methods/Approach: The study combines case studies, including site visits and interviews, with expert consultations. Results: The research finds marked between-country differences, with United Kingdom case studies highlighting a strong emphasis on age-neutral practices shaped by legislation; age-confident practices in Germany resulting from collaborative arrangement between employers and trades unions (with legislation permissive towards age discrimination); business in Spain remaining relatively inactive, despite evidence of people expecting to work longer in life. Conclusions: Diverging employer motivations and responses to the challenge of an ageing workforce risk a multi-speed Europe in age-confident workplace innovation. A concerted effort that draws on the multiple factors that motivate initiative would be required to achieve good working conditions for older workers across Europe.