Datum: 04.09.2011
Why does local government need a labor market policy?
Munich's local government labor market policy takes steps and launches projects to fight discrimination and inequality on the labor market. It concentrates on groups of people whose employability is in some way restricted. Again and again, the measures adopted show that a proactive labor market policy is necessary to improve the chances of those who are at a disadvantage, and to prevent unemployment from becoming systemic. Accordingly, a proactive labor market policy is far more than just attempts to place surplus manpower on the local job market. The key issues are:
The need for structural change
These days, there is no alternative to a proactive employment policy as a central pillar of local government's economic policy. That is true not only for Munich, but for the whole of Europe. Economies, it seems, will always experience their cyclical ups and downs. Yet simply leaving it to the labor market to mend what gets broken would be a fatal mistake.
One high priority for us is to guard against being surprised by structural collapses. Munich's employment figures are still healthy compared with other large cities. Our proactive labor market policy endeavors seem better able to cope with looming crises.
Attention is concentrated on the long-term integration of problem groups (the long-term unemployed, immigrants, young people etc.) who often tend to fall through the nets cast by traditional economic policy.
Equality for women in the world of work is another key tenet of our employment policy. Such an ambitious goal can only be reached if suitable tools of labor market policy are deployed.
Department of Labor and Economic Development
Dr. Anneliese Durst
Phone +49 (0)89 233 27652
anneliese.durst@muenchen.de
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