Working Poverty in Europe (Work and Welfare in Europe)

Offering a comparative perspective, this book examines working poverty - those in work who are still classified as 'poor'. It argues that the growth in numbers of working poor in Europe is due to the transition from a Keynesian Welfare State to a 'post-fordist' model of production. This is a study of a complex but important concept, working poverty (or in-work poverty), involving individuals both as workers and members of households. It is caused by low pay, but also weak labour force attachment and high needs. The most recently available version of the household survey, EU-SILC, is analyzed to explain factors behind working poverty in different European countries. There has been a growth of jobs in Europe in the last fifteen years, but this has not decreased poverty because of a relative expansion of low quality jobs. Now economic crisis threatens to increase poverty further. But there is quite a diversity of situations within the EU which this book explores. It includes discussion of working poverty in relation to gender, to migration, and policies like tax-credits. Case studies of UK, France, Spain, Sweden and Poland are included and these countries are given special attention in most of the chapters Cover......Page 1 Half Title......Page 2 Series......Page 3 Title......Page 4 Copyright......Page 5 Contents......Page 6 List of Tables......Page 8 List of Figures......Page 12 List of Boxes......Page 14 Notes on Contributors......Page 15 Acknowledgements......Page 18 RECWOWE Book Series: Work and Welfare in Europe......Page 19 Funding......Page 21 1 Introduction......Page 22 Part I Comparative Chapters......Page 34 2 A Comparative Analysis of In- Work Poverty in the European Union......Page 36 3 Worlds of Working Poverty: National Variations in Mechanisms......Page 67 Part II Country Chapters......Page 92 4 United Kingdom: Tackling Poverty in a Flexible Labour Market......Page 94 5 France: In- Work Poor or Poor Due to Lack of Work?......Page 114 6 Sweden: The Impact of Policy and Labour Market Transformation......Page 133 7 Spain: Persisting Inequalities in a Growing Employment Context......Page 154 8 Poland: When Dual Earnership Is not Enough......Page 176 Part III Cross- Cutting Themes......Page 194 9 Mobility and Persistence of In- Work Poverty......Page 196 10 Towards Individualizing Gender In- Work Poverty Risks......Page 223 11 From Wage Inequalities to Living Standard Inequalities at Household Level......Page 253 12 In- Work Poverty among Immigrants......Page 271 13 Making Work Pay for Whom? Tax and Benefits Impacts on In- Work Poverty......Page 299 14 Conclusions......Page 325 Bibliography......Page 338 Index......Page 358