User:Aparacha/sandbox

Country: Denmark

Topic: Active Labour Market Policies

Article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Denmark

Article Subsection: Labour Market and Employment

Sandbox notes:

For the Wikipedia Assignment, I have selected the topic of Active Labour Market Policies (ALMPs) in Denmark. I plan to contribute to the Labour Market and Employment subsection on the Economy of Denmark Wikipedia page. The Wikipedia Dashboard has categorized this as a Class B article with a completeness score of 87. This means that it is a "moderately developed article" with room for contribution.

The article mentions that Denmark has a system of flexicurity, which includes active labour market policies, however, it does not mention any details or examples of the policies in place. In my two paragraphs, I will talk about Danish expenditure on labour market policies, expand on specific policies targeting youth unemployment, and touch upon the economic impact of these policies.

Wikipedia Paragraphs:

(to be included after the following sentence which is already there in the article: “The degree of flexibility is in part maintained through active labour market policies.” )

Denmark first introduced active labour market policies (ALMPs) in the 1990s after an economic recession that resulted in high unemployment rates. Its labour market policies are decided through tripartite cooperation between employers, employees and the government. Denmark has one of the highest expenditures on ALMPs and in 2005, spent about 1.7% of its GDP on labour market policies. This was the highest amongst the OECD countries. Similarly, in 2010 Denmark was ranked number 1 amongst Nordic countries for expenditure on ALMPs.

Denmark’s active labour market policies particularly focus on tackling youth unemployment. They have had a “youth initiative” or the Danish Youth Unemployment Programme in place since 1996. This includes mandatory activation for those unemployed under the age of 30. While unemployment benefits are provided, the policies are designed to motivate job-seeking. For example, unemployment benefits decrease by 50% after 6 months. This is combined with education, skill development and work training programs. For instance, the Building Bridge to Education program was started in 2014 to provide mentors and skill development classes to youth that are at risk of unemployment. Such active labour market policies have been successful for Denmark in the short-term and the long-term. For example, 80% of participants in the Building Bridge for Education program felt that “the initiative has helped them to move towards completing an education.” On a more macro scale, a study of the impact of ALMPs in Denmark between 1995 and 2005 showed that such policies had positive impact not just on employment but also on earnings.