Data collection template and questionnaire
OECD Employment Outlook (table on ‘public expenditure and participant inflows in labour market programmes in OECD countries’)677
Download 6,71 Mb.
|
OECD Employment Outlook (table on ‘public expenditure and participant inflows in labour market programmes in OECD countries’)677
In 2002 the German employment “growth was ... very limited (0.2%). Unemployment (7.9%) was stagnant and not expected to fall until 2003. The number of jobs declined in the Eastern Länder where unemployment remains high. Long-term unemployment (3.9%) remains above the EU average, even if a decreasing trend can be discerned. The overall employment rate rose by 2 % since 1997. The rate for women has been increasing even faster (+3.5 %) and is higher than the 2005 interim EU-target. Although the employment rate for older workers (55-64 years) is close to the EU average, it remains below the very low starting level of 1997” (Council/European Commission 2003:65). These trends are supported by the still low level of economic growth in Germany. 2002 Council recommendations Main points of the 2002 recommendations of the Council of the EU to Germany were:
Overall reform activities 2002 In 2002, various reform activities were launched including two most relevant initiatives: the Job-Aqtiv Act and the proposals of the Committee “Modern Services on the Labour Market” (a.k.a. Hartz concept). Moreover, the modernisation of the Federal Employment Service was subject to reforms. Given the general economic slowdown the 2002 German NAP underlined the priority of improving the overall economic performance in order to promote employment and to support job creation. The reduction of the public debt and the creation of a reasonable tax system were thus priority targets. Special attention was to be paid to the enhancement of equal opportunities and to the reintegration of women and older workers into the labour market. Besides, investing in the quality of work together with efforts to increase lifelong learning activities were major points of the planned German employment policy reforms in 2002 (Federal Republic of Germany 2002:10). The German employment policy development paid furthermore tribute to the regional dimension of the EES by introducing the programme ‘Promotion of Job-Creating Infrastructure’ (‘Beschäftigung schaffende Infrastrukturförderung’ should ensure that the regional policies on infrastructure were to be taken into account), which together with the JobAqtiv act more closely when employment policies were planned (Federal Republic of Germany 2002). Employment policy initiative in 2002 As most important the Job-Aqtiv act entered into force in January. It re-orientated the general orientation of the German employment policy and focuses e.g. on the employment of older workers, on training measures and lifelong learning aspects. With this orientation it could be interpreted as a response especially to guidelines 1, 2, 3, 6 and 9 of the EES (also as the EES is referred to in the preamble of the law). The act supports preventive/active employment policy approach and intends to modernise different labour market instruments especially related to job placement measures. It thus provides for supplementary instruments (e.g. re-integration agreements, job rotation) for the re-integration of unemployed persons into work and for training measures for those in work. On the basis of local employment offices’ decisions, private agencies are allowed to take part in job placement activities. Furthermore, employment offices have to provide applicants with a job profile including the assessment of employability. Active job placement measures have to be offered directly when a person has reported unemployed. In this context, the new government approach ‘Encouraging and Motivating’ (‘Fördern und Fordern’) is applied. Gender equality is characterised as the universal principle of the law to promote employment, supported by measures to support the reconciliation of work and family life and gender-mainstreaming. The law aims at improving monitoring of effectiveness of the existing instruments of the German labour market policy (Federal Republic of Germany 2002:90ff.). In March 2002, the Committee “Modern Services on the Labour Market” (“Moderne Dienstleistungen am Arbeitsmarkt”, the so called ‘Hartz Commission’ named after its chairman Peter Hartz) was set up to prepare the reform the German employment policy and the federal Employment Service (FES). The German FES in February 2002 became focus of the public attention because of the revelation of wrong placement figures and considerable mismanagement (Thiel 2002:14). The Hartz Commission presented its report (the so called ‘Hartz Concept’), which is considered as the core concept of the German employment policy reform, on 16th August 2002. The concept is based on the main aims to reduce the number of unemployed people from nearly 4 millions to nearly 2 millions until 2005, to diminish the period of job placement from 33 weeks to 22 weeks and to decrease spending on earnings-related benefit and unemployment benefit from 40 to 13 thousand million €. The instruments to achieve these aims are: (1) stronger incentives for a quick job placement, (2) targeted support for self-employment and (3) a stronger use of temporary employment.
The Hartz concept proposes 13 modules of innovation to decrease unemployment and to reform the FES (Schmitthenner 2002; Bundesregierung 2002):
On 21st August the government decided the ‘1:1’ implementation of the Hartz concept. In October 2002, Hans Eichel, Minister of Finance, announced to transfer 2.8 thousand million € to the FES for the implementation of the Hartz concept. The Bundestag in November 2002 approved the implementation of the concept by 1st January 2003. The reform was split into two draft bills in order to avoid problems resistance of the opposition (CDU/CSU) dominated Bundesrat. The first part of the law (not subject to consent of the Bundesrat) integrated the rules concerning reasonableness, support for training as well as framework conditions for temporary employment. The second part of the draft bills (need for consent of the Bundesrat), included measures with a view to mini-jobs and self employment. Further new policies The ‘Immediate Programme for the Reduction of Youth Unemployment’ was further extended until 2003 with another 1.02 billion € available. The main “objective for 2002 is to achieve another balance between in-company vacancies and young applicants” (Federal Republic of Germany 2002:29). Other policies were directed to the implementation of the Equality Law for Disabled People (the act to combat unemployment of disabled persons/‘Gesetz zur Bekämpfung der Arbeitlosigkeit Schwerbehinderter’) and the action programme ‘Reducing Youth Unemployment (‘Abbau der Jugendarbeitslosigkeit’). To generally improve the situation of immigrants in Germany, the partners of the Alliance for Jobs jointly launched the action programme ‘Improving Training Opportunities for Migrants’ (‘Verbessung der Bildungssituation von Migrantinnnen und Migranten’) to provide advice and help. The new initiative ‘A New Quality of Work’ (‘Neue Qualität der Arbeit’) reacted to the recommendations of the Council in 2001 and should guarantee the equilibrium of flexibility and social security (ibid.:11f.). With a view to early retirement, the average retirement age was increased to 65 years and the revised pension law provides for additional incentives to stay in work. The federal programme ‘Vocational Skill-building for Young People with a Special Need for Promotion’ was continued with a budget of about € 55 million until 2005, while the programme ‘An Enhanced Culture of Learning’ (‘Lernkultur Kompetenzentwicklung’) concentrated on improving in-house training. The overall tax reform was to refine the corporate tax law (‘Gesetz zur Fortentwicklung des Unternehmenssteuerrechts’) to relieve tax burdens on SME’s. 2002 Joint Employment Report Commenting on the 2002 activities the Council and the Commission in 2003 advised Germany to enhance activities to increase the employment rate of older workers. Moreover, the activities under the employability pillar would need to be enhanced and structural reforms in Eastern Germany should further be advanced. Further efforts were also needed to reduce taxation and non-wage labour costs and concerning childcare facilities. Finally, Germany was asked to re-start talks of the Alliance of Jobs (Council/European Commission 2003). 2003 Council recommendations
The Council and the European Commission still underlined that child care facilities and the gender pay gap were to be tackled. As in 2002 the employment rate of older people was criticised as too low. The Council asked Germany to further concentrate on active and preventive labour market measures. Taxation, high non-wage labour costs and the conditions for earnings-related benefit were to be seen as disincentives to create new jobs and to re-enter labour market. Additionally the degree of regulation (incl. institutions to govern wage formation (‘Flächentarifvertrag’ and the ‘Günstigkeitsprinzip))’ have been criticised for inhibiting job creation (Council of the EU/European Commission 2003:8). Both European institutions suggested to improve job search assistance and labour market programmes, to focus on job creation in the Eastern Länder, to review and remove regulatory barriers to create new jobs, to support flexible work organisation schemes, to further promote and implement life-long learning measures as well as to reform the tax-benefit system to make work pay (ibid:8-9). Overall reform activities 2003 In March 2003 German chancellor Gerhard Schröder presented his Agenda 2010 to promote far reaching structural reforms in Germany. With this agenda the government presents reforms suggestions for the three most pressing problems of the country: labour market reform, restructuring of social security systems and promoting economic growth. The Agenda 2010 thus not only focuses on labour market and employment policies reforms, but also on restructuring social security systems, reforms of the industry law (new crafts law and promotion of SME), new investment programmes and the local financial reform (‘Gemeindefinanzreform’) and further initiatives in the education and research sector (Bundesregierung 2003). Concerning labour market reform the Agenda 2010 proposes to reform the protection against wrongful dismissal by
Furthermore the period for receiving earnings-related benefit will be substantially shortened to 12 months. For older workers a period of 18 months (currently 32 months) is foreseen. Additionally unemployment benefit and income support should be merged in order to remove disincentives to work. A new structure of the Federal employment services and its job centres with a privatised management structure should support a stronger service and costumer orientation (e.g. closer relations to companies). Job creation measures in eastern Germany will continue to be active labour market instruments for this region (Bundesregierung 2003). These flexibilisation measures are largely inspired by the Hartz concept and should enter into force in January 2004. The European Commission assessed the Agenda 2010 as positive even though not far enough reaching steps to consolidate the national budget (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung 2003a). The Agenda 2010 has initiated a vivid discussion and has been criticised especially by the left wing of the SPD and the federal trade union federation DGB, which presented its own counter programme (Focus Magazin 2003), while the coalition partner BÜNDNIS 90/DIE GRÜNEN approved the programme at a spcial party convention in June 2003. At the same time, the opposition parties asked for stricter reforms than presented by the government. Major points of critique are the flexibilisation of the threshold value for small enterprises, the cut in social services, the reduction of period for receiving earnings-related benefit and the merger of unemployment benefit and income support. Nevertheless, leading economic research institutes cautiously welcomed the positive impact the proposed reforms could potentially exert on economic upturn and job creation, even if they were perceived as not far reaching enough (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung 2003b). Further new policies Additionally the Jump programme was further extended until the end of 2004 by the ‘Jump plus’ programme presented by the government in May 2003. Assessment So far, the German employment policy reform does not seem to be a huge success in terms of job creation and increase in employment. Main reform priorities were reduction of youth and long-term unemployment, enhancement of training efforts, promotion of the dual apprenticeship. On the other hand the reduction of non-wage labour costs, even if it was aspect to several tax reform initiatives, has not been implemented so far. Therefore, areas such as tax and pension reform and decreasing social security contributions were not as successful as necessary to promote job creation. The high level of early retirement still creates problems for the German social security system and for the reduction of non-wage labour costs. Moreover, reforms in the entrepreneurship pillar seem hesitant and late. Germany reacted also quite late to the necessities of higher flexibility within the labour market. Repeated critique from the European level was also directed to the problems of the high degree of early retirement and the low activity rate of older people in the country, the tax burden on labour, the gender equality issue as well as overall high level of unemployment. Nevertheless, a trend for the transition for passive to active labour market measures can be witnessed early in 1998/99, when the social-democratic/green coalition entered into office. Indicate to what degree regional issues are relevant in national employment policies? A core instrument of regional economic development by the Federal Government and the Länder is the common task “Verbesserung der regionalen Wirtschaftsstruktur” (GA) (Improvement of Regional Economic Structures) (see ‘territorial policy’) adds to the national employment policy. The GA promotes industry initiatives and business-related infrastructure and also supports regional development concepts. A variety of regional co-operations between industry boards, unions, chambers of commerce, labour administration, and vocational schools exist to increase training capacities. The Länder created full-time schools, e.g., a vocational preparatory year, a vocational elementary school year, and vocational schools for those youths who did not find an apprenticeship in the dual system with the goal to improve the apprenticeship situation and outlook for the future of young people (German NAP 2001). Generally the education policy and thus the training and skills sector is dominated by Länder policies as education policy is falling within the competencies of the German Länder. As outline below, regional issues are integrated in the German NAP. Moreover, one of the most important aspects with regional relevance is the division of labour market performance and partly labour regimes (longer working hours in industry in the eastern part, wage differentiation and working hours flexibility, subsidised wages, etc.) between the western and eastern Länder. The eastern Länder are characterised by an unemployment rate well above the German average and by huge problems of job creation and economic restructuring. Thus, employment policy in the eastern Länder strongly focuses on publicly funded direct job creation measures and subsidised employment measures. Also needs for structural changes (such as the closing down of ships yards or the mining sector in several Länder) are responded to with national employment measures such as the Job-Aqutiv Act. The German employment policy moreover also pays tribute to the regional dimension of the EES by introducing the programme ‘Promotion of Job-Creating Infrastructure’ (‘Beschäftigung schaffende Infrastrukturförderung’), which together with the JobAqtiv act should ensure that the regional policies on infrastructure were to be taken into account more closely when employment policies were planned (Federal Republic of Germany 2002). With the Job-Aqtiv Act the Federal government also took into account different regional developments of youth unemployment by allocating half of the funds to the new Länder. The Job-Aqtiv act also established the aim that measures to promote employment should also make a contribution towards boosting employment and improving infrastructure on the regional level. Moreover, as outlined in the 2001 and 2002 German NAP, one main objective was the reduction of the persisting regional disparities between the old and the new Länder. Furthermore, nine territorial employment pacts have been set up in 1998 (see below). Example of regional aspects relevant to the national employment policy:
Describe national policies with different regional coverage; their aim and coverage678 The amount of subsidised employment measures is higher in Eastern Germany than in the western Länder. The same holds true for structural change. Subsidised employment creating measures
Support for mobility is higher in the East than in the West
The support for apprenticeship and related forms for disadvantaged young people varies among the Länder.
Differences are also to be found in the support for reintegration of disadvantaged persons into the labour market.
What is the role of regional and local governments in employment policies (if any)?679 (see also next sub-heading on Alliances for work) Regional and local government have a certain potential of fine-tuning national employment policies to counter balance differences in economic structures and labour markets. Thus, esp. Länder with huge problems in this area have developed own strategies. An important intervening factor is the composition of the regional government and their opposition to the national one. Regional and local governments are also involved in the territorial employment pacts integrating also Federal Office for Special Aspects of Unification, the Labour promotion, Employment and structural development agency, companies, research institutes and educational establishments, trade unions, local chambers of industry, commerce and crafts, local authorities and employment service, clubs and job-creation enterprises, environmental organisations Territorial employment pacts680
Download 6,71 Mb. Do'stlaringiz bilan baham:
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bosh sahifa
юртда тантана
Боғда битган
Бугун юртда
Эшитганлар жилманглар
Эшитмадим деманглар
битган бодомлар
Yangiariq tumani
qitish marakazi
Raqamli texnologiyalar
ilishida muhokamadan
tasdiqqa tavsiya
tavsiya etilgan
iqtisodiyot kafedrasi
steiermarkischen landesregierung
asarlaringizni yuboring
o'zingizning asarlaringizni
Iltimos faqat
faqat o'zingizning
steierm rkischen
landesregierung fachabteilung
rkischen landesregierung
hamshira loyihasi
loyihasi mavsum
faolyatining oqibatlari
asosiy adabiyotlar
fakulteti ahborot
ahborot havfsizligi
havfsizligi kafedrasi
fanidan bo’yicha
fakulteti iqtisodiyot
boshqaruv fakulteti
chiqarishda boshqaruv
ishlab chiqarishda
iqtisodiyot fakultet
multiservis tarmoqlari
fanidan asosiy
Uzbek fanidan
mavzulari potok
asosidagi multiservis
'aliyyil a'ziym
billahil 'aliyyil
illaa billahil
quvvata illaa
falah' deganida
Kompyuter savodxonligi
bo’yicha mustaqil
'alal falah'
Hayya 'alal
'alas soloh
Hayya 'alas
mavsum boyicha
yuklab olish