Hardback
Fighting Working Poverty in Post-industrial Economies
Causes, Trade-offs and Policy Solutions
9780857934871 Edward Elgar Publishing
This thought-provoking book provides an in-depth analysis of the working poor phenomenon and its causes across welfare regimes, and identifies the most efficient policy mixes and best practices that could be utilized to resolve this problem.
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Critical Acclaim
Contents
More Information
This thought-provoking book provides an in-depth analysis of the working poor phenomenon and its causes across welfare regimes, and identifies the most efficient policy mixes and best practices that could be utilized to resolve this problem.
Eric Crettaz argues that ‘the working poor’ is too broad a category to be used for meaningful academic or policy discussion, and that a distinction must be made between different categories of poor workers. He illustrates how different welfare regimes generate different forms of working poverty via in-depth case studies of various OECD countries over the past decade, underpinned by a theoretical and conceptual framework. Using meta-analyses of evaluations of social policy tools, the author addresses the key question of what constitutes the most efficient policies to deal with the problem of working poverty.
Fighting Working Poverty in Post-industrial Economies will prove an enlightening and stimulating read for academics, researchers and students across various disciplines including sociology, economics and political science. In addition, policymakers and other stakeholders seeking innovative solutions to the potentially growing problem of working poverty will find this book to be an invaluable point of reference.
Eric Crettaz argues that ‘the working poor’ is too broad a category to be used for meaningful academic or policy discussion, and that a distinction must be made between different categories of poor workers. He illustrates how different welfare regimes generate different forms of working poverty via in-depth case studies of various OECD countries over the past decade, underpinned by a theoretical and conceptual framework. Using meta-analyses of evaluations of social policy tools, the author addresses the key question of what constitutes the most efficient policies to deal with the problem of working poverty.
Fighting Working Poverty in Post-industrial Economies will prove an enlightening and stimulating read for academics, researchers and students across various disciplines including sociology, economics and political science. In addition, policymakers and other stakeholders seeking innovative solutions to the potentially growing problem of working poverty will find this book to be an invaluable point of reference.
Critical Acclaim
‘This is a very well written study. . . the discussion here of the impact of such policies as tax credits, employment subsidies and childcare support in relation to welfare regime is sophisticated and insightful. One can learn much here about “the interplay of markets (especially the labour market), the welfare state and families”.’
– Neil Fraser, Journal of Social Policy
– Neil Fraser, Journal of Social Policy
Contents
Contents: 1. The Dilemmas and Puzzles of the Fight Against Working Poverty 2. Arbitrary Definitions, Official Definitions and Useful Typologies 3. The Three Mechanisms that Lead to Working Poverty 4. Potential Solutions: Minimum Wages, Social Transfers and Childcare Policy 5. The Real World of Social Policies: The Welfare Regime Approach 6. What Works Where and for Whom? A Meta-analytical Approach 7. The Weight of Each Working Poverty Mechanism Across Welfare Regimes 8. There is No Such Thing as ‘the Working Poor’ or a One-Size-Fits-All Solution Appendix: Summary Tables and Data-sets Used for the Meta-analyses References Index
