We examine job flows in the 1990s for a sample of 13 European countries. By using a dataset of continuing firms that covers all sectors, we find firm characteristics to be important determinants of job flows, with smaller and younger firms within services typically having a larger degree of job...

There has been much discussion of the differences in macroeconomic performance and prospects between the US, Japan and the euro area. Using Markov-switching techniques, in this paper we identify and compare specifically their major business-cycle features and examine the case for a common...

This paper presents evidence for structural differences in economic growth dynamics between the current EU and the central- and eastern European accession countries. Two important results emerge from the analysis. First, accession countries have posted higher average growth and wider output...

We compute public sector performance (PSP) and efficiency (PSE) indicators, comprising a composite and seven sub-indicators, for 23 industrialised countries. The first four sub-indicators are u0093opportunityu0094 indicators that take into account administrative, education and health outcomes...

We quantify the degree of persistence in unemployment rates of transition countries using a variety of methods benchmarked against the EU. In part of the paper, we work with the concept of linear u0093Hysteresisu0094 as described by the presence of unit roots in unemployment. Since this is...

As European economies slide into recession, companies face increasing financial difficulties as sales decline and prospects for a quick recovery recede. Consequently, a growing number of businesses are coming under threat, putting the jobs of more workers at risk. Already across Europe many...

At European level, the debate on flexicurity is currently high on the employment and social policy agenda. Member States are reflecting on the best way to adapt their systems to the "new reality" of maintaining the balance between the need for flexibility in the labour market to allow companies...

Globalisation is the stepping stone for plenty of articles, essays and papers on social transformation, as it is for this one. Of the many questions raised by globalisation, one that has attracted much attention lately, is how this so-called globalisation affects the national and international...

The European Year of Mobility 2006 recognises that geographic and job mobility raises flexibility in the labour market and may contribute to job growth in the European Union. It is frequently claimed that the European Employment Strategy focuses mainly on creating more jobs and less effort is...