ESRI Paper on Active Labour Market Programmes

A summary of the potential for active labour market policies by Eilis O'Brien, Seamus McGuinness and Philip O'Connell of the ESRI is linked here Abstract below:

Ireland faces a crisis of mass unemployment. More than 14 per cent of the labour force is unemployed, and long-term unemployment is growing rapidly. Active labour market policies (ALMPs) - consisting of a range of assistance, training and employment programmes to support the unemployed back to work - have been held out as an essential part of the policy response to unemployment. This paper examines a wide range of national and international research on the
effectiveness of ALMPs to ask: i) what do ALMPs do for the unemployed?, ii) are some programmes more effective than others? iii) what can we expect ALMPs to achieve in a recession? The paper shows that while research on the impact of active labour market programmes is far from conclusive and faces a number of difficult methodological challenges, it does provide a basis on which to identify the types of programmes that have been found to enhance the employment prospects of their unemployed clients

OECD Conference on Jobs

The material from today's conference on jobs in Dublin is available on this link. Some very useful stuff including an overall issues paper. Speakers included Orla Doyle from UCD who contributed on the role of early intervention.

The Future of American Jobs

This is the first of two conferences organised by the Hamilton Project and the Center for American Progress. This conference took place on April 30th; it addressed the implications of the competitive global economy and rapid technological change for the challenge of creating high-paying jobs in the United States. A link to the conference website including a full event video is available here. The conference programme is outlined below.

8:30 a.m. - 8:50 a.m. Opening Remarks
John Podesta, President and Chief Executive Officer, Center for American Progress
Robert E. Rubin, Co-Chair, Council on Foreign Relations

8:50 a.m. - 9:15 a.m. The State of the U.S. Labor Market
David Autor, Professor of Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

9:15 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Economic Growth and Job Creation
Alan Auerbach, Professor of Economics, University of California Berkley
Michael Greenstone, Director, The Hamilton Project; Professor of Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Alan Krueger, Assistant Secretary for Economic Policy, Treasury Department
John van Reenen, Director, Centre for Economic Performance, London School of Economics

Moderated by:
Chrystia Freeland, Global Editor-at-Large, Reuters

10:45 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. The American Worker
Ron Blackwell, Chief Economist, AFL-CIO
Heather Boushey, Senior Economist, Center for American Progress
Larry Katz, Professor of Economics, Harvard University
Cecilia Rouse, President's Council of Economic Advisers

Moderated by:
Greg Ip, U.S. Economics Editor, The Economist

12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Closing Session
Michael Bloomberg, Mayor, New York City
Lawrence H. Summers, Director, National Economic Council

Moderated by:
Charlie Rose, Host, Charlie Rose

Mathematica Policy Research: Evaluating the US Jobs Recovery Programmes

Another useful document from Mathematica Policy Research setting down principles on how to evaluate the jobs programmes rolled out under the Recovery Act in the US

The purpose of this white paper, provided as the final deliverable product of the pre-design study, is to provide guidance to DOL as it assesses potential methodologies for evaluating each grant.

The purpose of this white paper is not to recommend a single methodological approach as the best way to evaluate these grants, and it does not make such a recommendation. Rather, it explores the advantages and disadvantages of different methodological approaches so that DOL can consider its options for proceeding with an evaluation of these grants.

QNHS Employment Figures for Ireland

Figures released today in the Central Statistics Office's Quarterly National Household Survey show that the unemployment rate increased from 4.9% to 10.2% over the last year.

Nine out of the fourteen NACE sectors showed a decrease in employment over
the year. The largest decline in employment was recorded in the Construction
sector where the numbers employed fell by 72,200 (-28.6%) over the year.

Which NACE sectors had an increase in employment over the year?
(i) Information and Communication: 1,000 more employed
(ii) Financial, Insurance and Real Estate: 200 more employed
(iii) Public administration and defence; compulsory social security: 3,000 more employed
(iv) Education: 10,600 more employed
(v) Human health and social work activities: 2,100 more employed

However, Brendan Walsh has noted that while the QHNS is based on more economically meaningful (ILO) definitions (compared to the Live Register), it too needs to be handled with care. (For example, anyone working for pay or profit for one hour a week or more is classified as employed.)

Jobs That Are Hard to Fill, Right Now

Some jobs are currently hard to fill in the United States, according to the New York Times (earlier this week):

Welder is one, employers report. Critical care nurse is another. Electrical lineman is yet another, particularly those skilled in stringing high-voltage wires across the landscape. Special education teachers are in demand. So are geotechnical engineers, trained in geology as well as engineering, a combination sought for oil field work. Respiratory therapists, who help the ill breathe, are not easily found, at least not by the Permanente Medical Group, which employs more than 30,000 health professionals. And with infrastructure spending now on the rise, civil engineers are in demand to supervise the work.