Social Policy and Employment: Rebuilding the Connections (Beyond 2015 Brief No. 3)

With concerns continuing to mount about the persistently high levels of unemployment and informal/nonstandard employment stemming from the global economic crisis, recent debates on the social protection floor suggest that social policies remain high on the global agenda. But what are the connections between social policy and employment? This brief argues that over the past three decades these links have been weakened in both policy formulation and actual outcomes. It is high time that their connections are recognized for policy purposes. The post-2015 development agenda provides an opportune moment to reconnect social policy and employment.

This brief was written by James Heintz, Research Professor, PERI, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and Shahra Razavi, Research Coordinator, UNRISD. This text was originally published as UNRISD Research and Policy Brief 17 (December 2012). It is being reissued because of its continued relevance to current discussions shaping the post-2015 development agenda.

About "Beyond 2015" Briefs
UNRISD’s "Beyond 2015" Briefs contribute research-based insight and analysis to the dialogue around the post–MDG development agenda. They highlight key information in a concise format, with references to further in-depth reading, useful to policy makers, activists and academics alike.