In the long history of rising and persistent unemployment in Europe almost all institutions - employment protection legislation, unions, wages, wage structure, unemployment insurance, etc. - have been alleged and found guilty to have caused this tragic development at some point in time. Later,...

In the long history of rising and persistent unemployment in Europe almost all institutions – employment protection legislation, unions, wages, wage structure, unemployment insurance, etc. – have been alleged and found guilty to have caused this tragic development at some point in time....

In view of high and rising jobless rates in the industrialized countries the solution of the unemployment problem becomes a cardinal question for politicians and economists. What factors have determined the unemployment trend since the 1960s and what conclusions can be drawn for employment policy?