In this workshop, CoFFEE brought together researchers from Australia, Japan and the USA to discuss, evaluate and compare the unemployment experience for the three countries. The OECD Jobs Study examined unemployment across the OECD and recommended that countries follow a general neo-liberal agenda in order to reduce unemployment. Such a policy agenda encompasses limited employment protection, limited unemployment benefit access and duration, a flexible wage structure, decentralised collective bargaining and real wage flexibility. This agenda most closely resembles the policy program in the USA and the USA has become a benchmark in the international comparative research on unemployment.

In contrast, Japan has rarely been used as an international benchmark in unemployment studies, despite having a superior unemployment record to almost all OECD economies. Japan is represented as a special case or as possessing conditions that do not apply elsewhere.

Australia has tracked the US record. A relatively good unemployment record in relation to Europe, but prone to sudden surges in the unemployment rate followed by long periods of incremental reduction in the rate before the next surge. In policy terms Australia has embraced and led the way on the OECD Jobs Study recommendations.

Currently unemployment is increasing in all three countries. In Japan's case this has been an ongoing process, for the USA and Australia it follows a decade of strong jobs growth and a falling unemployment rate.

What insights can we obtain from a comparative study of the unemployment experience of the three countries? Is what we observe a statistical aberration generated by the application of different concepts and measures? Does it reflect differences in industrial structure and the extent of integration with the global economy? Is it a manifestation of different degrees of policy success and failure? Does it reflect differences in how each economy and its labour market adjusts to economic shocks? Or, does it perform an essential function of disciplining and controlling labour? These and many more questions are examined at this workshop. Enjoy it, participate and help us make it a stimulating workshop.

Day One Papers and Events:

1. Randy Wray - Centre for Full Employment and Price Stability, University of Missouri-Kansas City, USA - Understanding modern money

2. Michio Akama and Yorotoshi Nagai, Ehime University, Japan - Japanese unemployment and Tables and Figures

3. Ellen Carlson, CofFEE, University of Newcastle - Unemployment measurement and concepts - a comparative approach

4. Martin Watts and Abbas Valadkhani, CofFEE, University of Newcastle - The impact of deindustrialistation on employment outcomes in Australia, Japan, and the USA

5. Jim Jose, CofFEE, University of Newcastle - Political aspects of unemployment in Australia, Japan, and the USA

6. John Burgess, CofFEE, University of Newcastle - Institutional characteristics of unemployment in Australia, Japan, and the USA

7. Book Launch - Unemployment: the tip of the iceberg, edited by Bill Mitchell and Ellen Carlson and published by CAER/UNSW Press, Sydney was launched by David Thompson the CEO from Jobs Australia. Go to CofFEE Shop for on-line purchase.

1. Bill Mitchell , CofFEE, University of Newcastle - Examining labour market responses to shocks in Australia, Japan and the USA

2. Matthew Johnson, CofFEE, University of Newcastle - Unemployment dynamics in Australia, Japan and the USA - No paper available.

3. Round Table Discussion - The discussion was introduced by Randy Wray, Michio Akama and Bill Mitchell and was open to all workshop participants.

Past Events