The concept of sustainability and its application to labor market policy: 2017 : a discussion of political feasibility, implementation, and measurability

Claudia Lubk analyzes the transferal between the guiding principle of sustainability and the policy field of labor market policy. She discusses both separately to elaborate the most important aspects necessary to make the transition towards sustainable labor market policy. In addition, the author focusses on the political feasibility of measures to implement sustainable policies and considers the challenges posed by realizing the sustainability concept. Based on this analysis, a working definition of sustainable labor market policy is developed. Contents Realizing Sustainable Development Sustainability and Labor Evaluation of Sustainability Indicators for the Evaluation of Sustainable Labor Market Policy Target Groups Researchers and students in the fields of economic policy and evaluation Author Claudia Lubk is a researcher at the Chair of Economic Policy Research at Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg Danksagung 5 Abstract 6 Kurzfassung 6 Contents 7 List of Tables 12 List of Figures 13 List of Abbreviations 16 1. Introduction 19 2. Sustainability 21 2.1 The Evolution of the Concept 23 2.1.1 The Limits to Growth 23 2.1.2 The Stockholm Conference and the Brundtland Commission 26 2.1.3 The Rio Summit in 1992 28 2.1.4 After Rio 1992 30 2.2 Definition 31 2.2.1 General Definition 32 2.2.2 Sustainability as a Concept 33 2.3 Intra- and Intergenerational Justice 36 2.3.1 Justice and Fairness 37 2.3.2 Calculation 39 2.4 Institutions to Further Sustainable Development 41 2.5 Characteristics of Sustainability 46 2.6 Sustainability Models 49 2.6.1 The Pillar Models 50 2.6.2 Sustainability Triangle 53 2.6.3 Sustainability Circles 55 2.6.4 The HGF Sustainability Model 57 2.7 The Dimensions of Sustainability 58 2.7.1 The Ecological Dimension 59 2.7.2 The Economic Dimension 65 2.7.2.1 Politics 66 2.7.2.2 Consumers 67 2.7.2.3 Companies 69 2.7.3 The Social Dimension 72 2.8 Summary 76 3. Realizing Sustainable Development 77 3.1 Past Achievements 78 3.1.1 Citizens 78 3.1.2 Companies 82 3.1.3 Politicians and Scientific Assessment 83 3.2 Strategies for Sustainable Development 87 3.2.1 Overview 87 3.2.2 Strategies 88 3.2.3 Sustainable Development Strategies 89 3.2.4 Sustainable Development Rules 91 3.2.5 Sustainability Management in Germany 95 3.3 Challenges in Implementing Sustainable Development 98 3.3.1 Communicational Challenges 99 3.3.2 Challenges in Society 100 3.3.3 Scientific Challenges 106 3.3.3.1 The Concept of Sustainability 106 3.3.3.2 Connecting Fields of Research 107 3.3.3.3 Defining and Measuring (Future) Needs 108 3.3.4 Structural Political Challenges 109 3.3.4.1 Institutional Collaboration 110 3.3.4.2 Enforceability of the Sustainability Concept 111 3.3.4.3 Self-Interest of Stakeholders 111 3.3.4.4 Temporal Considerations 116 3.3.4.5 Costs 118 3.3.4.6 Communication 119 3.3.5 International Challenges 120 3.4 Summary 122 4. Sustainability and Labor 124 4.1 The Importance of Labor 124 4.2 Labor Market Policy 127 4.3 Labor Market Policy Measures 130 4.3.1 Measures 132 4.3.1.1 Passive Labor Market Policy Measures 132 4.3.1.2 Active Labor Market Policy Measures 133 4.3.1.3 Company Measures 135 4.3.1.4 Macroeconomic Measures 136 4.3.2 Labor Market Policy Measures in Germany 137 4.4 Sustainable Labor Market Policy 139 4.4.1 The Economic Dimension of Sustainable Labor Market Policy 140 4.4.2 The Ecological Dimension of Sustainable Labor Market Policy 141 4.4.3 The Social Dimension of Sustainable Labor Market Policy 145 4.4.4 Intragenerational Justice and Sustainable Labor Market Policy 146 4.5 Summary 147 5. Indicators 148 5.1 Introduction 149 5.2 Basic Requirements for Indicators 149 5.3 Types of Indicators 154 5.3.1 Single Primary Data Indicators 155 5.3.2 Indicator Sets 156 5.3.3 Aggregated Single Indices 156 5.4 Building Indicators 157 5.5 Sustainability Indicators 158 5.6 The Applied Use of Indicator Systems 162 5.6.1 Sustainability Indicator Systems in Germany 162 5.6.2 International Sustainability Indicator Systems 164 5.7 Wellbeing and Indicator Systems 168 5.8 Summary 172 6. Evaluation 173 6.1 Introduction and Definition 173 6.2 The Tasks of Evaluation 175 6.3 Basic Principles of Evaluation 177 6.4 The Evaluation Process 181 6.5 Evaluation Methods 183 6.6 Types and Models of Evaluation 186 6.7 Challenges to Evaluation 189 6.7.1 Methodical Challenges 189 6.7.2 Human Challenges 190 6.8 Policy Evaluation 191 6.9 Evaluating Labor Market Policies 194 6.9.1 Labor Market Policy Evaluation 194 6.9.2 Challenges for the Evaluation of Labor Market Policy 197 6.10 Evaluating Sustainability 201 6.11 Summary 202 7. Indicators for the Evaluation of Sustainable Labor Market Policy 203 7.1 Criteria for Sustainability Indicators 203 7.1.1 Explanatory Aspects 203 7.1.2 Technical Aspects 204 7.2 Micro-level Indicators 205 7.2.1 Net-Costs of the Measure 206 7.2.2 Integration of Participants into the Formal Labor Market 207 7.2.3 Quality-of-Job Indicators 208 7.2.3.1 Long Working Hours 208 7.2.3.2 Commuting Time 209 7.2.3.3 Quality of Work Life 210 7.3 Macro-level Indicators 210 7.3.1 Influence of LMP on Labor Productivity 211 7.3.2 Influence of LMP on GDP per Capita 212 7.3.3 Employment Indicators 213 7.3.3.1 Employment Rate 213 7.3.3.2 Precarious Employment 214 7.3.3.3 Long-term Unemployment Rate 215 7.3.4 Income Poverty 216 7.3.5 Education Indicators 217 7.3.5.1 Adult Secondary/Tertiary Schooling Attainment Level 217 7.3.5.2 Life-long Learning 218 7.3.6 Work Accidents and Occupational Illnesses 218 7.3.7 Income Inequality 219 7.3.8 Number of Decent Green Jobs in Green Industries 220 7.4 Summary 221 8. Conclusion 222 9. Publication Bibliography 224 Claudia Lubk analyzes the transferal between the guiding principle of sustainability and the policy field of labor market policy. She discusses both separately to elaborate the most important aspects necessary to make the transition towards sustainable labor market policy. In addition, the author focusses on the political feasibility of measures to implement sustainable policies and considers the challenges posed by realizing the sustainability concept. Based on this analysis, a working definition of sustainable labor market policy is developed.-- Provided by Publisher Front Matter....Pages I-XXIII Introduction....Pages 1-2 Sustainability....Pages 3-58 Realizing Sustainable Development....Pages 59-105 Sustainability and Labor....Pages 107-130 Indicators....Pages 131-155 Evaluation....Pages 157-186 Indicators for the Evaluation of Sustainable Labor Market Policy....Pages 187-205 Conclusion....Pages 207-208 Back Matter....Pages 209-239