What is active labour market policy?

Active Labour Market Policies (ALMPs) describe measures to help individuals enter the labour market or to prevent already employed individuals from losing their jobs. ALMPs include various measures, from training to job search assistance, subsidies, supported employment opportunities and programmes to support entrepreneurial activities.

The public employment service and the ministries of labour are the principal authorities responsible for ALMPs in most countries. The European Social Fund (ESF) financially supports ALMPs within the EU. Public authorities often cooperate with employers, trade unions, training providers and NGOs in implementing ALMPs.

Why are ALMPs needed?

ALMPs are a cornerstone of modern welfare states. For example, the Corona crisis showed the importance of ALMPs like Kurzarbeitsbeihilfe (short-time allowance) which protect jobs by temporarily covering part of employees’ wages. Other examples are training measures for recently arrived migrants or employment subsidies to help long-term unemployed re-enter the labour market.

What we offer:

Researchers at the European Centre have ample expertise in ALMP. We study and assess measures for different target groups that are implemented at various levels of governance. Specifically, we:

• Assess the implementation and effectiveness of ALMPs.
• Identify promising practices and develop recommendations for innovative ALMP solutions.
• Organise mutual learning events to support the structured exchange of experience and know-how between stakeholders.
• Conduct comparative research on the use of ALMPs in EU countries.
• Provide guidance on setting up and implementing local and regional employment partnerships.
• Offer policy advice on how to meet employment-related challenges arising especially from technological and demographic changes.
• Assess regional, national and EU employment strategies.
• Study the interplay of ALMPs with other policy areas such as passive labour market policy and social policy (e.g. unemployment benefits, minimum income schemes) as well as gender policy, vocational education and training and disability policy.