Education and Employment in the European Union: The Social Cost of Business

In this meticulously researched and highly informative book, Dimitris Chorafas focuses in detail on further issues seen as contributing To The challenging European business climate he described in his recent 'The Business of Europe is Politics' . Education, employment policy, and pensions are seen as inextricably linked and critical to any sort of business or economic revival, let alone success, and all three are addressed here. In the first part of this book, The author argues that European educational standards leave much to be desired - from primary schools through to universities. Graduates don't have the necessary drive to upgrade their education, and government programs don't offer them the needed skills and know-how to live and work in a knowledge economy, and much needs to be done to raise standards. Problems with education in turn affect employment, The theme of the second part of the book. Also working against effective approaches to employment are structural issues, ranging from inflexible labor laws to heavy social costs. Here, The author suggests what might be done to get employment moving again in difficult economic times. Employment and pensions work in synergy. Part Three examines the implications of and future for pension provision, taking a polyvalent approach which embraces state pensions, company pensions And The workings of pension funds. Some current pension schemes are seen as marginally functional because of demographics; others because investment opportunities are not abundant; still others because risks related to pensions are rising. Dr. Chorafas proposes action to address some of the identified threats arising from all these causes. The evidenced analysis of the three interlinked policy areas in this book identifies the issues And The relationships between them for those engaged in or facilitating business activity. The findings and suggestions included in this book will be important to business practitioners, business educators, government authorities, policy makers, consultancies and others with relevant academic and research interests, either within or wishing to learn lessons from the European Union.