Publisher's Synopsis
This collection of papers is the result of research undertaken by economists from 7 European countries (France, UK, Ireland, Belgium, Spain, Italy, and West Germany). The authors are all members of the Federation of Economic Research (FERE).;They compare changes in wage and labour relations, conditions of employment, and social systems since 1973 as the economic environment has worsened, in order to identify similarities or differences in the impact of the international crisis on each country and to assess the various reactions to it.;The research aims to look at how Europe can make the most of the innovations and far-reaching processes of change that are taking place in European economies, despite the difficulties in regulating the relationship between the production of goods and services, and the various means of income redistribution in the context of a slow-down in economic growth.;The conclusions drawn challenge conventional ideas and aim to show that Europe can afford to take a positive approach to economic and social flexibility without compromising the welfare state.
