ABSTRACT

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book addresses the European Social Model (ESM) from a particular research perspective known as the concept of transitional labour markets (TLM). It reviews the major policy implications of the more than 100 research contributions made by the participants to the Network. The book outlines the relationship between TLM and the EES, emphasizing in particular the ways in which the former might reinforce the latter. It describes the historical background and the specific forces that shaped Danish TLMs, in particular the trust relations between social partners and the wide range of welfare state services. The book underlines the importance of adequate financial incentives and the reform of social security schemes for successful TLM policy-making. It assesses making-work-pay policies and the social protection model in Belgium from a comparative perspective.