Labor markets and labor market policies between globalization and world economic crisis

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This publication examines studies on Japan and Germany, with a focus on comparative analyses. It centers on the impacts of globalization and the world economic and financial crisis, particularly how labor markets responded and the ensuing challenges for labor and social policy. Amid a looming global employment crisis, the work analyzes labor market developments in two countries that were notably successful in economic growth and social inclusion during the latter half of the 20th century. The recent history of labor markets and policies in Germany and Japan is categorized into four phases: (1) strong institutional coordination before globalization; (2) the emergence of an employment crisis due to globalization and specific national factors, such as Japan's real estate bubble burst and Germany's reunification; (3) efforts since 2003 to address the crisis through a market-optimistic approach; and (4) new challenges stemming from the Global Financial and Economic Crisis of 2009. This book results from the conference “The flexibilization of labor markets between globalization and the global economic crisis: Comparing Japan and Germany,” held at Bremen University of Applied Sciences in June 2009.