<p>How can the central state direct local public units to work effectively towards public sector goals? In an effort to understand the conditions for governance, the three self-contained essays housed in this thesis examine the role of central and local government agencies in implementation of active labor market policy (ALMP) in Sweden. The study is based on new and unique quantitative data.</p><p>To understand steering possibilities, it is necessary to examine how local politics impinges on local actions. Thus, essay I concerns the following question: Does it matter for local government actions whether left wing or right wing parties govern at local level? I propose that the effect of political partisanship depend on entity size. I expect left-wing governments to be more engaged in ALMPs, but that the impact will be larger in sizeable entities. Empirical evidence supports the theoretical priors.</p><p>It is also important to know how actors can be coordinated. Thus, essay II tries to explain cooperation between agencies. Trust, goal congruence, and resource interdependence are focused upon. The results indicate that there is no impact of trust on cooperation if goals diverge. Similarly, it does not matter that agencies trust one another if they have different agendas. But if both factors exist simultaneously, cooperation increases. On the other hand, resource interdependence boosts cooperation regardless of trust levels.</p><p>But does cooperation really improve policy implementation? Essay III proposes that the impact is contingent on task complexity. I expect cooperation to be more valuable when the task is complex. In accordance with this hypothesis, the evidence suggests that only complex tasks can be carried out better through intense interorganizational cooperation.</p><p>Taken together, the insights from the essays might help us find routes to better governance.</p>

How can the central state direct local public units to work effectively towards public sector goals? In an effort to understand the conditions for governance, the three self-contained essays housed in this thesis examine the role of central and local government agencies in implementation of active labor market policy (ALMP) in Sweden. The study is based on new and unique quantitative data. To understand steering possibilities, it is necessary to examine how local politics impinges on local actions. Thus, essay I concerns the following question: Does it matter for local government actions whether left wing or right wing parties govern at local level? I propose that the effect of political partisanship depend on entity size. I expect left-wing governments to be more engaged in ALMPs, but that the impact will be larger in sizeable entities. Empirical evidence supports the theoretical priors. It is also important to know how actors can be coordinated. Thus, essay II tries to explain cooperation between agencies. Trust, goal congruence, and resource interdependence are focused upon. The results indicate that there is no impact of trust on cooperation if goals diverge. Similarly, it does not matter that agencies trust one another if they have different agendas. But if both factors exist simultaneously, cooperation increases. On the other hand, resource interdependence boosts cooperation regardless of trust levels. But does cooperation really improve policy implementation? Essay III proposes that the impact is contingent on task complexity. I expect cooperation to be more valuable when the task is complex. In accordance with this hypothesis, the evidence suggests that only complex tasks can be carried out better through intense interorganizational cooperation. Taken together, the insights from the essays might help us find routes to better governance.

This thesis deals with retraining, which is the main instrument of active employment policy. The aim of thesis is to research the specific detection effectiveness of retraining courses. The hypothesis is that the efficiency of spending on retraining courses cannot be shown because it is impossible to determine the usability of courses for graduates and their real ability to get a job based on their completion. The theoretical part of the thesis deals with the definition of basic concepts - unemployment, active labor market policies and retraining courses. The theoretical part of the thesis also focuses on the issues of employability, human and social capital. Analytical part deals with the possibility of examining the effectiveness of retraining courses. The work focuses on the analysis of profiles of graduates retraining courses. Analysis also focused on identifying opportunities to introduce labor offices collecting of data that would provide information on the use of specific retraining obtained in practice, and thus allow exploring the effectiveness of the handling of funds. The work in this section is based on a questionnaire survey of employee of labor offices and interview with Mgr. Ondřej Hora, Ph.D.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the causes of welfare state expansion, specifically the causes of welfare state expenditure of active labor market policy (ALMP). ALMP aims at reducing unemployment and increasing participation in the labor market. The field of political economy has long asked the question of why certain welfare states are characterized by generous social policy, while others are not. Several theories have been presented over the years, each providing new perspectives. The two theories that could be considered to be the most prominent are the Power Resource Theory, which centers on the importance of power resources of major classes, and the Varieties of Capitalism, which is more focused on the different needs of capitalists.The specific interest of this paper is the varying orientations of ALMP. It is argued that ALMP should not be understood as a homogenous concept, but instead as a category of policy which consists of a range of tools from which a government can choose. Analyzing the expenditure of these tools separately is thus of great importance for the development of a deeper understanding of the welfare state.Using regression analysis, I analyze which of the theories mentioned above is most strongly correlated to increased expenditure of ALMP. I use a total expenditure of ALMP, as is customary within the field, but I also include two other measures for specific tools of ALMP; incentive reinforcement programs and training programs.The results indicate that when looking at the total expenditure of ALMP the VoC approach appears to better explain the cause of welfare state expenditure. However, when including the measures for the specific tools of ALMP, the classic notion of VoC is confirmed only regarding incentive reinforcement programs, and contradicted regarding training programs. Moreover, the classic notion of PRT is confirmed regarding the expenditure of training programs, albeit with quite limited evidence. Also, the classic notion within PRT finds little support in the analysis of total expenditure of ALMP and the expenditure of incentive reinforcement programs. Only making a distinction between large and small welfare states is thus argued to be a simplification. Welfare states with similar levels of social expenditure might in fact differ significantly regarding actual policy preference.It is concluded that the continued disaggregation of ALMP is necessary in order to further the research field. Acknowledging the highly heterogeneous nature of ALMP is essential when understanding its expenditure.

In industrialized economies such as the European countries unemployment rates are very responsive to the business cycle and significant shares stay unemployed for more than one year. To fight cyclical and long-term unemployment countries spend significant shares of their budget on Active Labor Market Policies (ALMP). To improve the allocation and design of ALMP it is essential for policy makers to have reliable evidence on the effectiveness of such programs available. Although the number of studies has been increased during the last decades, policy makers still lack evidence on innovative programs and for specific subgroups of the labor market. Using Germany as a case study, the dissertation aims at contributing in this way by providing new evidence on start-up subsidies, marginal employment and programs for youth unemployed. The idea behind start-up subsidies is to encourage unemployed individuals to exit unemployment by starting their own business. Those programs have compared to traditional programs of ALMP the advantage that not only the participant escapes unemployment but also might generate additional jobs for other individuals. Considering two distinct start-up subsidy programs, the dissertation adds three substantial aspects to the literature: First, the programs are effective in improving the employment and income situation of participants compared to non-participants in the long-run. Second, the analysis on effect heterogeneity reveals that the programs are particularly effective for disadvantaged groups in the labor market like low educated or low qualified individuals, and in regions with unfavorable economic conditions. Third, the analysis considers the effectiveness of start-up programs for women. Due to higher preferences for flexible working hours and limited part-time jobs, unemployed women often face more difficulties to integrate in dependent employment. It can be shown that start-up subsidy programs are very promising as unemployed women become self-employed which gives them more flexibility to reconcile work and family. Overall, the results suggest that the promotion of self-employment among the unemployed is a sensible strategy to fight unemployment by abolishing labor market barriers for disadvantaged groups and sustainably integrating those into the labor market. The next chapter of the dissertation considers the impact of marginal employment on labor market outcomes of the unemployed. Unemployed individuals in Germany are allowed to earn additional income during unemployment without suffering a reduction in their unemployment benefits. Those additional earnings are usually earned by taking up so-called marginal employment that is employment below a certain income level subject to reduced payroll taxes (also known as “mini-job”). The dissertation provides an empirical evaluation of the impact of marginal employment on unemployment duration and subsequent job quality. The results suggest that being marginal employed during unemployment has no significant effect on unemployment duration but extends employment duration. Moreover, it can be shown that taking up marginal employment is particularly effective for long-term unemployed, leading to higher job-finding probabilities and stronger job stability. It seems that mini-jobs can be an effective instrument to help long-term unemployed individuals to find (stable) jobs which is particularly interesting given the persistently high shares of long-term unemployed in European countries. Finally, the dissertation provides an empirical evaluation of the effectiveness of ALMP programs to improve labor market prospects of unemployed youth. Youth are generally considered a population at risk as they have lower search skills and little work experience compared to adults. This results in above-average turnover rates between jobs and unemployment for youth which is particularly sensitive to economic fluctuations. Therefore, countries spend significant resources on ALMP programs to fight youth unemployment. However, so far only little is known about the effectiveness of ALMP for unemployed youth and with respect to Germany no comprehensive quantitative analysis exists at all. Considering seven different ALMP programs, the results show an overall positive picture with respect to post-treatment employment probabilities for all measures under scrutiny except for job creation schemes. With respect to effect heterogeneity, it can be shown that almost all programs particularly improve the labor market prospects of youths with high levels of pretreatment schooling. Furthermore, youths who are assigned to the most successful employment measures have much better characteristics in terms of their pre-treatment employment chances compared to non-participants. Therefore, the program assignment process seems to favor individuals for whom the measures are most beneficial, indicating a lack of ALMP alternatives that could benefit low-educated youths. / Zur Verbesserung der Arbeitsmarktchancen arbeitsloser Personen und damit zur Bekämpfung von Arbeitslosigkeit werden innerhalb der Europäischen Union jedes Jahr beträchtliche Summen für Maßnahmen der aktiven Arbeitsmarktpolitik (AAP) aufgewendet. Vor diesem Hintergrund ergibt sich die Frage nach der Effektivität dieser Programme. Obwohl in den vergangenen Jahren zahlreiche empirische Evaluationsstudien durchgeführt und hierdurch wesentliche Erkenntnisse über die Wirksamkeit von AAP gewonnen wurden, bestehen noch stets unerforschte bzw. nur unzureichend erforschte Bereiche, wie zum Beispiel für innovative Programme oder für Untergruppen am Arbeitsmarkt. Hierin liegt der Beitrag der Dissertationsschrift. Am Beispiel von Deutschland werden neue Erkenntnisse zur Wirksamkeit der Existenzgründungsförderung, der geringfügigen Beschäftigung sowie der Programme für arbeitslose Jugendliche geliefert. Mit Einführung des Existenzgründungszuschusses (Ich-AG) im Rahmen der Hartz-Reformen, standen gründungswilligen Arbeitslosen, zusammen mit dem bereits seit Mitte der Achtziger Jahre bekannten Überbrückungsgeld, zwischen 2003 und 2006 zwei Förderprogramme zur Verfügung. Beide Programme umfassen eine monetäre Förderung während der Gründungsphase, um arbeitslosen Personen den Weg in die berufliche Selbständigkeit zu erleichtern. Die Analyse der beiden Programme zeigt deutlich, dass die intendierten Ziele, d.h. die Verbesserung der Beschäftigungschancen sowie der Einkommenssituation der Teilnehmer, erreicht wurden. Es zeigt sich weiter, dass beide Programme insbesondere effektiv für benachteiligte Gruppen am Arbeitsmarkt, wie z.B. Geringqualifizierte, sowie in Regionen mit eher schlechten ökonomischen Bedingungen sind. Aber auch die getrennte Analyse für Frauen zieht eine positive Bilanz. Hier erweist sich die Förderung als besonders wirksam, da die berufliche Selbständigkeit (im Gegensatz zur abh. Beschäftigung) anscheinend eine bessere Vereinbarkeit von Familie und Beruf ermöglicht. Abschließend lässt sich somit feststellen, dass die Förderung der beruflichen Selbständigkeit eine sinnvolle Strategie darstellt, da insbesondere bestehende Hürden für benachteiligte Gruppen am Arbeitsmarkt beseitigt und diese Personen langfristig in den Arbeitsmarkt integriert werden. Im nächsten Abschnitt der Dissertationsschrift wird die Aufnahme einer geringfügigen Beschäftigung während der Arbeitslosigkeit untersucht. In Deutschland können arbeitslose Personen bis zu 15 Stunden/Woche eine Beschäftigung aufnehmen, wobei ein Zuverdienst bis 165 Euro/Monat keine Auswirkung auf den Bezug von Arbeitslosengeld hat. Hierzu greifen arbeitslose Personen insbesondere auf die geringfügige Beschäftigung (genannt „Mini-Job“) zurück, da diese für die Arbeitslosen selbst abgabenfrei ist und Arbeitgeber nur einen reduzierten Beitrag zur Sozialversicherung sowie Einkommensteuer zahlen. Das erhöhte Einkommensniveau während der Arbeitslosigkeit sowie der enge Kontakt zum Arbeitsmarkt können unterschiedliche Wirkungen generieren. Es zeigt sich, dass die Aufnahme einer geringfügigen Beschäftigung grundsätzlich keinen signifikanten Einfluss auf die Arbeitslosigkeitsdauer hat, jedoch im Anschluss an die Arbeitslosigkeit zu längeren Beschäftigungsphasen führt. Die Untersuchung der Effektheterogenität zeigt, dass die geringfügige Beschäftigung während der Arbeitslosigkeit die Arbeitslosigkeitsdauer für Langzeitarbeitslose verkürzt und zu insgesamt stabileren Beschäftigungsphasen für diese Personengruppe führt. Das Ergebnis ist von hoher politischer Relevanz, da die Möglichkeit einer Zusatzbeschäftigung während der Arbeitslosigkeit anscheinend ein effektives Instrument zur Bekämpfung von Langzeitarbeitslosigkeit darstellt. Abschließend beschäftigt sich die Dissertationsschrift mit der Untersuchung der Effektivität von AAP zur Verbesserung der Arbeitsmarktchancen von arbeitslosen Jugendlichen. Jugendliche sind im Gegensatz zu Erwachsenen häufiger von Arbeitslosigkeit betroffen, da sie über geringere Such- bzw. Arbeitserfahrung verfügen. Die Bekämpfung von Jugendarbeitslosigkeit steht daher im Fokus der AAP. Vor diesem Hintergrund ist es erstaunlich, dass bisher nur wenig über die Wirksamkeit von AAP für arbeitslose Jugendliche bekannt ist bzw. für Deutschland hierzu noch überhaupt keine Erkenntnisse existieren. Die Dissertationsschrift liefert nun erstmalig Evidenz zur Wirksamkeit von AAP für arbeitslose Jugendliche in Deutschland. Die untersuchten Programme (außer Arbeitsbeschaffungsmaßnahmen) erhöhen die Beschäftigungswahrscheinlichkeit der Teilnehmer gegenüber den Nicht-Teilnehmern. Allerdings zeigt sich auch, dass arbeitslose Jugendliche ohne bzw. mit Hauptschulabschluss weniger von einer Programmteilnahme profitieren als Jugendliche mit einer höheren Schulbildung. Hier scheint noch Optimierungsbedarf zu bestehen, indem die Ausgestaltung der AAP stärker auf die Bedürfnisse von geringqualifizierten Jugendlichen eingehen sollte.

The diploma thesis is focused on the issue of the labor market and unemployment in the region of Ústí nad Labem, mainly on the realization and evaluation of the impacts of active labor market policies. Basic notions and theoretical bases are defined in the first part, namely types of unemployment, the manner of measuring unemployment rate and the impacts of unemployment. Labor market policies are characterized and labor market effects are clarified. Attention is given to the linkage of regional policies and unemployment and to state interventions to the economy. The second part of the thesis is focused on labor market policies in the CR, to historical evolution of unemployment in the CR since 1993 and to active labor market policies in the CR. Further on the work deals with the description of the region of Ústí nad Labem and it's labor market, where attention is given mainly to the factors affecting the rate of unemployment, like the structure of citizens by sex, age, education, nationality and the sector structure of the economy and duration of unemployment. A summary of the active labor market policy used in the region is made in the fourth chapter, stressed on the number of people using it and public spending expounded on it. In this chapter is also made an evaluation of efficiency of individual instruments. According to calculations the most effective instruments in the region of Ústí nad Labem are retraining programs and measures supporting health disabled people. The final chapter is focused on own recommendations to the public policy.

Unemployment has begun to be considered as a European problem since the early nineties, when a coordination of activities in the social field at the EU-level has also gradually started. Since that time, spending on the social policy from the EU budget has been constantly rising, but, as shown in this thesis, the situation on the European labour market has not been significantly improved. This is illustrated also by the fact that any from the EU employment targets from the Lisbon strategy has not been until now met. The most important instrument of the EU-Employment policy is the European Social Fund (ESF). Because its expenditures on the Czech Employment policy are constantly increasing, it is necessary to ask whether it improves a condition of a labour market. Moreover, if nowadays contributions from the ESF represent the majority of expenditure on the Czech active labour market policy (ALMP) carried out by particular labour offices. Analytic part of this thesis focuses on the evaluation of the ALMP, which is financed from the Czech state budget as well as from the ESF and which is implemented by the particular labour office - in the region of Nachod. According to a similar analyses, programmes of a subsidised employment shows the highest effectiveness also in the district of Nachod, while direct job creation schemes and retraining courses contribute to reducing unemployment only to a limited extent.

2008年金融危機，對全球經濟造成嚴重的衝擊，連帶影響勞動市場，青年失業問題日趨惡化，高失業率使許多青年放棄求職，或選擇繼續留在教育體系中，延後進入勞動市場。國際組織及各國政府皆致力於解決青年失業問題，我國也不例外，惟多年來我國青年就業情況卻未獲改善，是否我國的青年就業政策有不足之處值得深思。本研究主要針對青年失業問題與原因進行討論，亦欲藉由國際組織之建議及各國青年就業政策，來探討我國青年就業政策應加強之處，最後試圖從教育改革面向切入我國青年失業率升高之原因，並於文末提出建議。 / The global economy suffered a serious impact by financial crisis in 2008, also affected the labor market. The youth unemployment situation has been getting worse since 2008. Discouraged by high youth unemployment rates, many young people have either given up the job search altogether or have decided to postpone it and continue to stay in the education system. Both international organizations and governments have devoted effort to solve the youth unemployment problem─ our country is not an exception. But the youth unemployment situation has not improved for several years. Are there any insufficient in our country‘s Youth employment policy worth to think. This thesis focused on the problems and reasons of youth unemployment. Also discuss how to strengthen our youth employment policy and the high youth unemployment rates from the perspective of Taiwan's education reformation system. Finally, make recommendations to strengthen the current youth employment policy.

The aim of this thesis was to analyze main causes of youth unemployment in countries of European Union. In order to assess main determinants of this negative phenomenon, an econometric model based on panel data was constructed. Source dataset, containing mainly Eurostat data, covers EU-28 countries in the 2000-2014 period. Results of a regression inclined that youth unemployment is effected mainly by overall economic development. Youth unemployment is more sensitive for economic downturns than unemployment in an adult age class. The model also suggested that cuts in payroll taxes and deregulation in the minimum wage legislation could have positive effect on youth employment. Based on the literature, reforms toward more practical and effective education system with elements of dual apprenticeship, could be also a positive step in tackling youth unemployment. However, an econometric-based proof of this hypothesis was not found.

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