Since the beginning of the 1980s, an increase in the number of fixed-term employment contracts has been apparent in a number of free-market-oriented economies. This has been accompanied by amendments to the pertinent legislation. From the early to mid-1980s, a number of EC countries initiated...

Although the idea of coordinating national employment policies goes back to the beginning of the 20th century, little progress has occurred in recent decades. The purpose of this article is to explain why such coordination is needed and how it should be accomplished.

This study examines policies that can successfully address long-term unemployment. It focuses on Denmark and Sweden, where, despite sizeable job losses during the crisis, labour market indicators are at present better than in any other EU country. By looking at the interaction between labour...