The ruling class plays a major role in society. It makes possible what would otherwise be infeasible, by removing constraints that may stand in the way of long-term growth. Historically, economists devoted far less attention than sociologists to the study of ruling classes. Using the theoretical...

This book offers a balanced and pragmatic view of the problems associated with international migration. It assembles contributions from two teams of leading scholars in the field. Part One presents the contribution of the first team which is focused on Europe. Part Two is devoted to the...

In the last 50 years the gap in labour productivity between Europe and the US has narrowed considerably with estimates in 2005 suggesting a EU-US labour productivity gap of about 5 per cent. Yet, average per capita income in the EU is still about 30% lower than in the US. This persistent gap in...

Contributors to this volume - Rolf Aaberge (Research Department Statistics, Norway) Giuseppe Bertola (University of Turin) Tito Boeri (Bocconi University and Fondazione RDB) Ugo Colombino (University of Turin) Giovanni Andrea Cornia (University of Florence and CAPORDE) Daniela Del Boca (CHILD -...

In this book, first-rate international scholars in the field explore the role that unions are likely to play in the changed economic environment of the new century. Questions discussed include: What will unions look like in the years to come? Which kind of interest groups will they represent?...

Our economies face constant challenges from many different directions. Structural reforms are implemented every day, either to grasp the benefits of globalization and technological change, or to avoid foundering on unaffordable welfare systems or the rise of new economies. Despite this flurry of...

This books deals with labour reallocation in the midst of structural change, drawing on the experience of economic transition in formerly planned economies. It details those features of social welfare systems best suited to fostering structural change while at the same time reducing social...

The recent financial crisis has created a public outcry over top-executive pay packages and has led to calls for reform of executive pay in Europe and the US. The current controversy is not the first - nor will it be the last - time that executive compensation has sparked outrage and led to...

Using newly collected and existing data and modern econometric approaches, this book analyses the gender wage gap as well as less explored dimensions of discrimination such as religion, sexual orientation, and physical appearance. Part One focuses on gender. Using a newly collected database for...

The worldwide race to attract talents is getting tougher. The US has been leading the race, with its ability to attract PhD candidates and graduates not only from emerging countries, but also from the European Union. However, a growing number of countries have adopted immigration policies...