Policy brief

Policy sequences during and after COVID-19: A review of labour market policy patterns

This policy brief tracks the sequential logic of labour market policies across a sample of countries from all world regions.

Active labour market policies (ALMPs), which include measures such as job search assistance, training programmes, wage subsidies or public employment schemes, are a key element in the portfolio of policy tools that are designed to bring unemployed workers back into employment. Increasing their scope and intensity is therefore suggested particularly in economic downturns. The COVID-19 crisis is no exception to this rule.

However, the COVID-19 crisis has particular features that could make the adequate use of ALMPs different than in previous recessions. For example, due to containment measures especially in the early phase of the pandemic, many courses and programmes could not continue as planned, and new courses could not start. Such a temporary halt would imply that at the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, and despite the imminent and actual increase in unemployment figures, ALMPs could have been used rather differently and also to a smaller extent than in previous recessions.

This policy brief tracks the sequential logic of labour market policies across a sample of countries from all world regions.