New Labour has placed great faith in active labour market policies to address problems of long-term unemployment and poverty. This paper considers the effectiveness of welfare-to-work programmes in light of persistent regional employment disparities within the UK. It is argued that the...

Using 18 waves of the British Household Panel Study, this paper examines state dependence and stepping stone effects of low pay. A distinguishing feature is that five types of transition- not in the labour force (NILF), unemployment, self-employment, low pay and higher pay are modelled...

This paper describes and briefly evaluates the major "New Deal" activation policies introduced by the UK New Labour government since 1997. It outlines the ambitious project to modernize the UK economy and welfare state and, within this overall strategy, to end child poverty and to tackle social...