Should we explain the disappointing outcomes of the Open Method of Co-ordination on Inclusion by methodological weaknesses or by substantive contradictions in the ‘social investment' paradigm? To clarify the underlying concepts, we first revisit the original ‘Lisbon inspiration', and...

This chapter investigates the relationship between poverty trends and employment, proceeding in two steps. The first step explores the link between individual employment and household employment. A ‘polarization index' is defined in terms of the difference between, on the one hand, the actual...

'Reconciling Work and Poverty Reduction' examines the link between poverty and labor market participation and the distributive capacity of welfare states. Focusing on the working-age population and the evolutions in Europe during the 'good economic years' before the financial crisis, this book...

The Belgian welfare state is a mediocre performer with regard to child poverty. Moreover, child poverty is increasing. We decompose cross-country differences and changes over time in child poverty by subdividing the child population in subgroups, based on the work intensity of the household in...

This chapter in ‘Monitoring Social Inclusion in Europe' (a book edited A.B. Atkinson, A-C. Guio and E. Marlier, published by Eurostat on 5 June 2017) explores the missing links between employment policy success and inclusion policy failure. The focus is on individuals in the 20 to 59 age...