This thesis' aim is to describe and assess employment opportunities of people with a criminal record. The theoretical part deals with the phenomenon of unemployment in general. The social and psychological aspects of the unemployment are described, as well as the possible impact of unemployment on society. Individual tools of social politics, which may be used to deal with unemployment, are discussed. The next part focuses on legislative features of the institution of Criminal record and on legislation that regulates the relationships between employers and employees. The practical part contains an analysis of job advertisements offering positions suitable for people with a criminal record. In the next chapter my aim was to analyse the situation of people released from prison; and to present opportunities for their support. The work of probation officers from municipal offices is described in detail. The thesis contains three case studies of people with a criminal record looking for a job. In the last chapter, organizations providing help and support for people with a criminal record during job searching are presented. Next chapter focuses on the international experiences with employing people with a criminal record. Key words Criminal record Unemployment Unemployment benefit Social benefit...

Thesis (M. Dev. (Planning and Development)) -- University of Limpopo, 2017 / This qualitative case study investigates the relevance of the Extended Public Works Programme (EPWP) as a solution to unemployment and poverty. A qualitative case study research design was used to collect and analyse the data. Data collection instruments consisted of interviews, questionnaires, observations and document analysis. Data analysis was largely in the form of thematic approach, since the study was qualitative. The choice of a qualitative design was informed by the need to engage the beneficiaries in their lived experiences during and after participating in the EPWPs. The main findings of the study were that although the EPWP improves the quality of life of the beneficiaries, however, it is not a sustainable solution to unemployment and poverty. That is because the structural constraints which confront beneficiaries at the end of the EPWP remain an obstacle to them in terms of employment opportunities and self-employment. The study therefore recommends a more integrated approach to the problem. It is recommended that the government develops a post EPWP sustainability plan which incorporates infrastructural and social development issues in all projects. Key words Poverty, EPWP, Unemployment, Work, Decent work, Productive work, Quality of Life Development and Developmental state.

Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur studie- och yrkesvägledare som arbetar med långtidsarbetslösa uppfattar fenomenet livslångt lärande. Uppfattningarna leder oss mot en djupare förståelse för hur fenomenet livslångt lärande konstrueras och hur denna konstruktion formar den praktik där studie- och yrkesvägledaren och den arbetslöse befinner sig. För att fånga dessa uppfattningar av livslångt lärande utgår studien från en fenomenografisk ansats och empirin samlas in genom intervjuer med åtta studie- och yrkesvägledare som arbetar med individer i långtidsarbetslöshet. Studiens resultat visar på att konstruktionerna kring fenomenet livslångt lärande hos respondenterna innehåller uppfattningar om livslångt lärande som ett verktyg till den ekonomiska utvecklingen i vårt land. Inbyggt i denna konstruktion återfinns även uppfattningar om en idealbild kring hur individer ska kunna ta del av den del av det livslånga lärande som erbjuds inom ramen för utbildning eller arbete. För de individer som befinner sig i långtidsarbetslöshet och faller utanför denna ram blir studie- och yrkesvägledaren en central person. / The purpose of this study is to investigate how study and career counsellors who work with the long- term unemployed perceive the phenomenon of lifelong learning. The perceptions lead us to a deeper understanding of how the phenomenon of lifelong learning is constructed and how this construction shapes the practice where the study and career counselor unemployed are. To capture these perceptions of lifelong learning, the study is based on a phenomenographic approach and the empirical data is collected through interviews with eight study and career counsellors who work with individuals in long-term unemployment. The results of the study show that the constructions around the phenomenon of lifelong learning in the respondents contain perceptions of lifelong learning as a tool for the economic development in our country. Built into this construction are also perceptions of an ideal picture of how individuals should be able to take part in the part of life-long learning that is offered within the framework of education or work. For those individuals who are in long-term unemployment and fall outside this framework, the study and career counsellor becomes a key person. The study and career counselor ́s constructions of lifelong learning affect professional practice, which need to be made visible and reflected on.

A volatile real exchange rate and high unemployment rate is a growing concern in South Africa, therefore the right macroeconomic policy is required. The challenge is to find stability in the real exchange rate paired with a low inflation rate, both of which are necessary to promote long term economic growth, which in turn creates more job opportunities. This study analyses the impact of the exchange rate on unemployment in South Africa by considering quarterly data for the period 2003 to 2013. In this study, the macroeconomic transmission channel is divided into two transmission paths, imports and exports. These find their roots in the Phillips curve and the Keynesian theory on unemployment respectively. The vector error correction model (VECM), together with an analysis of the impulse response functions and variance decompositions, are implemented to determine the short and long run impacts of the exchange rate on unemployment. After the completion of a variety of specifications, estimations and tests, both macroeconomic transmission paths revealed in the empirical analysis that the real exchange rate has a significant impact on unemployment. In the imports transmission path, the real exchange rate, imports and the CPI have significant long term relationships with unemployment. Furthermore, the exports transmission path found significant short term relations with unemployment in considering the real exchange rate, exports and economic growth. The impulse responses in both transmission paths indicated that a shock in the exchange rate will have a significant effect on unemployment in the short run. Similar results were found with the variance decomposition. In the import transmission path, movements in the real exchange rate explained an increasing portion of the variance in unemployment. Alternatively, in the export transmission path the real exchange rate and exports explained an increasing portion of the variance. The evidence therefore suggests that South Africa should focus more on stabilising the exchange rate, since fluctuations in unemployment are a result of shocks in the real exchange rate, following the macroeconomic transmission channels discussed. / MCom (Economics)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2015

A volatile real exchange rate and high unemployment rate is a growing concern in South Africa, therefore the right macroeconomic policy is required. The challenge is to find stability in the real exchange rate paired with a low inflation rate, both of which are necessary to promote long term economic growth, which in turn creates more job opportunities. This study analyses the impact of the exchange rate on unemployment in South Africa by considering quarterly data for the period 2003 to 2013. In this study, the macroeconomic transmission channel is divided into two transmission paths, imports and exports. These find their roots in the Phillips curve and the Keynesian theory on unemployment respectively. The vector error correction model (VECM), together with an analysis of the impulse response functions and variance decompositions, are implemented to determine the short and long run impacts of the exchange rate on unemployment. After the completion of a variety of specifications, estimations and tests, both macroeconomic transmission paths revealed in the empirical analysis that the real exchange rate has a significant impact on unemployment. In the imports transmission path, the real exchange rate, imports and the CPI have significant long term relationships with unemployment. Furthermore, the exports transmission path found significant short term relations with unemployment in considering the real exchange rate, exports and economic growth. The impulse responses in both transmission paths indicated that a shock in the exchange rate will have a significant effect on unemployment in the short run. Similar results were found with the variance decomposition. In the import transmission path, movements in the real exchange rate explained an increasing portion of the variance in unemployment. Alternatively, in the export transmission path the real exchange rate and exports explained an increasing portion of the variance. The evidence therefore suggests that South Africa should focus more on stabilising the exchange rate, since fluctuations in unemployment are a result of shocks in the real exchange rate, following the macroeconomic transmission channels discussed. / MCom (Economics)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2015

While worker flow analysis has grown in importance in many countries, Austria still lacks a specific longitudinal dataset as a prerequisite to perform similar analyses. For this reason, this article provides a coherent procedure to construct a longitudinal dataset based on the rotational panel structure of the Austrian quarterly LFS from 2004 to 2014. The procedure, which is available for researcher, is grounded on the discussion of several related and important issues inherent in constructing this sort of longitudinal data: First, it deals with the construction of the quarterly-matched dataset and the quality-of-measurement of several labour market variables. Second, the paper analyses non-response as a sample selection process, and shows that the selected (quarterly-matched) dataset causes biased estimates of worker flows. Third, the article proposes an iterative raking procedure to obtain survey weights as a bias-correcting device for any future analysis. Based on these adjustments, we present unbiased time-series of worker flows and transition rates, and conclude that the employment-unemployment margin is highly sensitive to economic shocks and that the Austrian labour market is additionally shaped by large movements within the participation margin. (authors' abstract) / Series: Department of Economics Working Paper Series

There has been a debate regarding the extent of graduate unemployment in South Africa and how it has affected the youth. The main focus of this study was therefore to identify the determinants of employment status among graduates, particularly the length of unemployment endured by young graduates in South Africa. The focus on graduates was necessary, given the understanding that once one has a university degree, the opportunities to get a job are assumed to be high. It was also on the premise of the substantial resources that are invested in higher education with the hope of a higher return. The objectives of the study were categorised into theoretical and empirical. The theoretical objectives were: to define unemployment and graduate unemployment, review literature on various types of unemployment, conduct a review on the problem of youth unemployment from a global, regional and South African perspective, review the trend of graduate unemployment in South Africa, and evaluate the factors that affect graduate unemployment. The empirical objectives were: to determine the average time it takes a graduate to find employment measured in months, assess if the employed graduates are employed in their fields of study, determine if degree choice plays a significant role in the employment prospects of graduates and to establish the personal and social economic factors that determine the employment status of graduates in South Africa. In achieving these objectives, a quantitative research method was adopted. The study used 233 questionnaires collected via an online survey that was circulated to the alumni database of the university in question. The study employed descriptive, cross tabulation and a regression analysis to achieve the set empirical objectives. The study had a well-balanced gender distribution with females making up 58% of the sample and males 42%. The average time it took graduates in the sample to find employment after graduation was seven months. Further analysis revealed that out of the graduates that were employed, more than 70% were employed in their fields of study with about 27% in jobs that they did not study for. Additional analysis to determine the state of the graduate’s current job showed that many of them were in jobs below their desired field, suggesting a problem of under-employment. The results from the regression analysis indicated that age, race, field of study, major module and job searching skills were significant predictors of unemployment length. Religion, gender, and marital status were not significant in this regard. The study indicated that 11.2% of the surveyed graduates were unemployed and the majority were between the age of 21 and 24, implying that young graduates are more likely to be unemployed than their older counterparts. Many of those who were unemployed had qualifications in Humanities with majors in the arts subjects. The average job waiting period was also found to be the highest for graduates with these arts majors. An analysis was also done on the perceptions about graduate unemployment. The results showed that surveyed graduates perceived the lack of job market information, lack of job experience and not having political connections as some of the factors that influence graduate unemployment. In contrast, age, race, self-confidence and higher education institution attended were perceived as factors not having any influence on unemployment among graduates. The study therefore concluded that the most important factors affecting graduate unemployment are qualifications and majors held by graduates, which seem not to be aligned with labour market requirements. This provides an opportunity for higher education institutions to collaborate with the government and private sector to bridge the gap that exists in academia and the world of work. Further analysis can be done on a broader scale by increasing the sample size and doing the same study at several universities in Gauteng.

There has been a debate regarding the extent of graduate unemployment in South Africa and how it has affected the youth. The main focus of this study was therefore to identify the determinants of employment status among graduates, particularly the length of unemployment endured by young graduates in South Africa. The focus on graduates was necessary, given the understanding that once one has a university degree, the opportunities to get a job are assumed to be high. It was also on the premise of the substantial resources that are invested in higher education with the hope of a higher return. The objectives of the study were categorised into theoretical and empirical. The theoretical objectives were: to define unemployment and graduate unemployment, review literature on various types of unemployment, conduct a review on the problem of youth unemployment from a global, regional and South African perspective, review the trend of graduate unemployment in South Africa, and evaluate the factors that affect graduate unemployment. The empirical objectives were: to determine the average time it takes a graduate to find employment measured in months, assess if the employed graduates are employed in their fields of study, determine if degree choice plays a significant role in the employment prospects of graduates and to establish the personal and social economic factors that determine the employment status of graduates in South Africa. In achieving these objectives, a quantitative research method was adopted. The study used 233 questionnaires collected via an online survey that was circulated to the alumni database of the university in question. The study employed descriptive, cross tabulation and a regression analysis to achieve the set empirical objectives. The study had a well-balanced gender distribution with females making up 58% of the sample and males 42%. The average time it took graduates in the sample to find employment after graduation was seven months. Further analysis revealed that out of the graduates that were employed, more than 70% were employed in their fields of study with about 27% in jobs that they did not study for. Additional analysis to determine the state of the graduate’s current job showed that many of them were in jobs below their desired field, suggesting a problem of under-employment. The results from the regression analysis indicated that age, race, field of study, major module and job searching skills were significant predictors of unemployment length. Religion, gender, and marital status were not significant in this regard. The study indicated that 11.2% of the surveyed graduates were unemployed and the majority were between the age of 21 and 24, implying that young graduates are more likely to be unemployed than their older counterparts. Many of those who were unemployed had qualifications in Humanities with majors in the arts subjects. The average job waiting period was also found to be the highest for graduates with these arts majors. An analysis was also done on the perceptions about graduate unemployment. The results showed that surveyed graduates perceived the lack of job market information, lack of job experience and not having political connections as some of the factors that influence graduate unemployment. In contrast, age, race, self-confidence and higher education institution attended were perceived as factors not having any influence on unemployment among graduates. The study therefore concluded that the most important factors affecting graduate unemployment are qualifications and majors held by graduates, which seem not to be aligned with labour market requirements. This provides an opportunity for higher education institutions to collaborate with the government and private sector to bridge the gap that exists in academia and the world of work. Further analysis can be done on a broader scale by increasing the sample size and doing the same study at several universities in Gauteng.

Syftet med studien var att utifrån professionellas kunskaper och unga vuxnas upplevelser undersöka hur bestämmelsen i 4 kap 4 § SoL används i praktiken samt om den möjliggör chansen till självförsörjning. Detta gjordes genom kvalitativa intervjuer med försörjningsstödshandläggare, vägledare och unga vuxna med anknytningar till undersökningsområdet. Studien är induktiv med ett hermeneutiskt förhållningssätt och materialet har analyserats med hjälp av Maslows behovshierarki, empowerment teori samt tidigare forskning. Resultatet visade på att en kompetenshöjande insats i slutändan ska leda till självförsörjning, men även utvecklar deltagarnas psykiska välbefinnande. Även om deltagandet i den kompetenshöjande verksamheten är ett krav för att få försörjningsstöd, har de unga vuxna en positiv upplevelse av verksamheten och vägledarna i motsats till tidigare forskning. Anledningen till det positiva resultatet tycks bero på det individuella stödet och utformningen. / The purpose of the study was that based on professionals' knowledge and experiences of young adults explore how the provision in chapter 4 § 4 SoL used in practice and whether it allows the chance to self-sufficiency .This was done through qualitative interviews with welfare benefits administrators, counselor , and young adults with connections to the subject .The study is inductive with a hermeneutic approach and the material has been analyzed using Maslow's hierarchy of needs , empowerment theory and previous research. The result showed that a competence-raising effort will ultimately lead to self-sufficiency, but also develops the participants' psychological well-being. Although participation in skill-enhancing activity is a requirement to receive welfare benefits, the young adults have a positive experience of the activities and counselors in contrast to previous research. The reason for the positive outcome seems to depend on the individual aid and the design.

This thesis studies the effects on the unemployment rate and average income due to the payroll tax cuts for young workers in Sweden. The method that has been used is a difference-in-difference approach with two different control groups. The unemployment rate for Swedish individuals at age 15-24 has been matched towards individuals at the same age in Finland and Denmark. The data behind the estimations is picked from the database of Eurostat. The results indicate an increase in the unemployment rate, contrary to the expectations from the theoretical framework in the subject. One possible explanation for a lack of increase in employment due to a targeted tax cut is shifting, meaning that the lowered cost for firms is shifted onto the employees’ wages. However, no significant results on the wage effect were found, so no such conclusion can be made. The explanation could lay in modeling problems, a growing labor force or the supply of labor (which may choose other alternatives than employment). By the results of this report, the main conclusion is that the payroll tax reductions did not reduce the high unemployment rate among young individuals in Sweden.