ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of the book. The book theoretically contextualises literature review followed by using statistical data to set the context of the local and national labour markets and which details and explains the research methodology. It deals with recruitment and skill and, given the body of secondary work dealing specifically with both these issues, the analysis of the empirical material is preceded in each case with a survey of secondary research. The theoretical material is dealt with slightly differently, where, because of the more general nature of inquiry, there was no one encompassing theoretical theme and, consequently, secondary work and theory is integrated with the empirical analysis on a topic by topic basis. The book draws out where the case study material is innovative, gives a brief summary of the findings and analyses how these affect the contemporary theoretical debate surrounding flexibility, mobility and labour market deregulation.
