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In the aftermath of the financial and economic crisis, large shares of working-age individuals in Italy either did not work or only to a limited extent. As the employment rate bottomed out in 2013, 32 per cent were without employment during the entire year, and a further 7 per cent had weak labour market attachment, working only a fraction of the year, or on restricted working hours. This paper applies a novel method for measuring and visualising employment barriers of individuals with no or weak labour market attachment, using household micro-data. It first develops indicators to quantify employment obstacles under three broad headings: (i) work-related capabilities; (ii) incentives; and (iii) employment opportunities. It then uses these indicators in conjunction with a statistical clustering approach to identify unobserved ('latent') groups of individuals facing similar combinations of barriers.

The resulting typology of labour market difficulties provides insights on the most pressing policy priorities in supporting different groups into employment. A detailed policy discussion illustrates how the empirical results can inform people-centred assessments of existing labour market integration measures and of key challenges across different policy areas and institutions. The most common employment obstacles in Italy were limited work experience, low education and skill levels, and scarce job opportunities. Although financial disincentives, health limitations and care responsibilities were less widespread overall, they remained important barriers for some groups. A striking finding is that more than half of jobless or low-intensity workers face three or more simultaneous barriers, highlighting the limits of narrow policy approaches that focus on subsets of these employment obstacles in isolation.

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Australia's disability employment landscape is transforming. The National Disability Insurance Scheme continues to be rolled out across Australia, with the expectation of direct employment growth. Changes to government programs for people with disability are also underway. In this context, Social Ventures Australia (SVA) in partnership with the Australian Network on Disability (AND) are trialling a model to: (1) change employer perceptions of the cost and risk of employing people with disability; (2) create sustainable changes across employers' policies, processes and culture; and (3) improve employment pathways for people with disability. This article looks at the model, which uses expert support to build employers' capacity, and the early findings from the trial. The article is based on the report 'High growth jobs, talented candidates, early learnings' (indexed in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 127.355).

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This report aims to shed light on three interrelated objectives relative to economic empowerment of youth: (1) promoting job creation for the targeted population; (2) improving the quality of existing jobs occupied by young people (many in the informal sector); and (3) supporting young job seekers in identifying and accessing quality job opportunities. The report presents a descriptive analysis of interventions that are currently pursuing these goals, a gap diagnosis of where attention is lacking, and a series of recommendations for Solutions for Youth Employment (S4YE) and related actors. The foci of these analyses are Jordan, Liberia, and South Africa.

Across the three countries, the authors find an oversaturation of programs targeting the employee (as opposed to the employer or the labor market), a sharp disconnect between demands of the labor market and capability of education/training programs to meet those demands, and a need to focus on inclusive job creation, ensuring vulnerable youth have equal access to labor opportunities. Additionally, the potential or lack thereof of digital platforms and employment to promote inclusive growth is highlighted throughout the report.

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Discussion of joblessness in Australia focuses largely on the official unemployment rate: the percentage of people looking for work within the overall labour force. On that measure, the Australian labour market is performing relatively strongly, both among men and overall. To gauge the overall level of joblessness in Australia, we must look at the work-to-population ratio: the rate of employment as a percentage of the population as a whole. On this measure, the rate of employment among 'prime age' men (ages 20 to 54) has been in steep decline over the past few decades. The author argues that this silent crisis brings significant consequences for Australia, for the rapidly growing cohort of jobless men themselves and for their families and children. Worst of all, evidence suggests that children without a working parent are much more likely to experience joblessness themselves in adulthood. The effects of joblessness in prime age men therefore risk becoming intergenerational, resulting in a permanent underclass of Australians with lower living standards, health outcomes and future prospects.

The author advocates for policy-makers to take urgent action to reverse the exodus of men from paid work. Structural barriers in our industrial relations system must be removed to allow the long-term unemployed to re-enter the labour force. The welfare benefits that are keeping men out of work should be pared back. The cost for not undertaking these reforms is the condemning of more and more men to life on the margins of society, hidden from view.

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Employment policies tend to focus on unemployed people, but evidence indicates that many people who are economically inactive also have labour market potential. This report from Eurofound (the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions) examines groups within the inactive population that find it difficult to enter or re-enter the labour market and explores the reasons why. The inactive population is heterogeneous. The report focuses in particular on four subgroups within it: people who report that they are in education, homemakers, retired or disabled. These subgroups vary greatly in terms of their characteristics and the barriers they face. It maps the characteristics and living conditions of these groups, discusses their willingness to work and examines the barriers that prevent them from doing so.

The report also looks at strategies being implemented by Member States to promote the inclusion of those outside the labour market. It highlights that many inactive people would like to work in some capacity, particularly students and homemakers. Stressing the importance of focusing on the specific needs of the inactive population in designing and implementing effective strategies for their labour market integration, the report argues that Member States should fully implement the 2008 European Commission Recommendation on the active inclusion of people excluded from the labour market.

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People in the UK are living longer, and the proportion of older workers in the labour force is increasing. The UK government's Fuller Working Lives (FWL) strategy aims to support individuals aged 50 years and over to remain in and return to the labour market and tackle the barriers to doing so. As the population and the workforce continue to age, to avoid a loss of labour, employers will need to increasingly draw on the skills of older workers. Employers will need to retain valuable skills of older workers, retrain them if they want to support workers to stay in the labour market and recruit them to maintain labour supply and gain the benefits of a multi-generational workforce. This publication encourages businesses to retain, retrain and recruit older workers and presents the benefits of a fuller working life.

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The goal of the National Electrical and Communications Association’s [NECA’s] National Indigenous Employment Plan is to provide an industry-wide approach to increase the Indigenous participation rate in the electrical and communications industry from the current 1.5 per cent to 2.5 per cent. The key objectives of the plan are to: achieve an Indigenous employment target of 2.5 per cent across the industry within the next 10 years; provide quality advice to members about Indigenous employment; and promote an holistic approach (focusing on relationships, recruitment and retention) to Indigenous employment.

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This publication sets out the UK government's strategy on the future of work, health and disability. It will take action across three settings - welfare, the workplace and the health system, to transform employment prospects for disabled people and people with long term health conditions. It includes the government's commitment to see one million more disabled people in work over the next 10 years. The publication describes how responses to the October 2016 consultation 'Work, health and disability: improving lives' [green paper available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 136.738] have informed the government's plans. It also: (1) provides the government's response to 'Thriving at work: a review of mental health and employers' [report available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 130.162]; (2) includes consideration of 'Good work: the Taylor review of modern working practices' [report available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 129.269]; and (3) refers to some recommendations made by Dame Carol Black in 'Drug or alcohol addiction, and obesity: effects on employment outcomes'.

The publication sets out actions focused on: (1) every employer - and the crucial role played by managers and supervisors in creating healthy and inclusive workplaces where all can thrive and progress; (2) a sustainable welfare system and employment support system that operates in partnership with the health system and as part of strong wider local partnerships to move people into work when they are ready; and (3) health services - with health professionals ready to talk about health barriers to work, timely access to appropriate treatments, and effective occupational health services accessible by all in work.

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This is the second report in the Centre for Cities' City Collaboration research strand, which examines how policy can help improve the economic fortunes of individuals living in more economically deprived areas by strengthening links to neighbouring cities and towns. The first paper examined the changing geography and nature of lower skilled employment, and differences in the supply and demand for jobs across the UK and in individuals' travel-to-work patterns. This paper takes a more detailed look at transport policies and their potential role in helping overcome barriers to work, focusing on four case study areas: the wider Milton Keynes area, South Hampshire, Greater Manchester and the Sheffield City Region.

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This report presents evaluation findings from qualitative and quantitative research into trials that were designed to promote take up and test the demand for labour market interventions for older claimants. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) operated trials in four locations in 2015-16, to boost work experience and training opportunities for older benefit claimants. The trials were designed to help older claimants gain the experience and training they needed to re-skill, move back into work and overcome barriers, including those that are age-related. Jobcentre Plus staff referred claimants aged 45 plus to participate in one of the following programmes: sector-based work academy (sbwa) or work experience (WE). The sbwa consists of three elements: pre-employment training (mandatory for everyone who agreed to participate), a work-experience placement and a guaranteed interview for a job or support to help the participant through the application process. Claimants who volunteered to take part in sbwa and WE responded well to the opportunity to trial working in job roles and sectors that were new to them. Participants appreciated the benefits of establishing a working routine and benefited from doing something to demonstrate their motivation and capabilities to host employers. However, only a minority of sbwa participants reported experiencing the follow-up work experience placement and guaranteed job interview components of the sbwa. This reduced the potential effectiveness of the programme.

There was evidence that both programmes helped participants to overcome age-related and other barriers to work. The majority of participants considered that they had become more job-ready as a result of taking part, and reported improved skills and qualifications as well as improved confidence. Reported benefits included being able to update and supplement CVs and broaden the scope of jobsearch. Participants experienced high levels of satisfaction with the programmes and the large majority would recommend sbwa and WE to other people in a similar situation. There is evidence that both programmes are appropriate for older workers, but to maximise the potential benefits of the intervention it is important for them to be well-organised, structured and offer genuine exposure to sector-relevant training and work. Specific areas for improvement identified include: (1) improving pre-entry information; (2) delivering the full components of the sbwa offer, and not just the pre-employment training; (3) ensuring that the placements are well structured and include genuine work-related tasks to impart useful skills and experience; and (4) ensuring that referrals are appropriate to participants' circumstances and tailored to the work they want to do.

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