Unemployment without end? The controversy over the new federal government's labour market and employment policies

A conference on persistent unemployment took place at the Akademie für Politische Bildung in Tutzing, led by Wolfgang Quaisser and Karl-Heinz Willenborg, at the end of March. The conference focussed on the labour-market policy measures proposed in the governing coalition agreement. As a member of the federal government, Franz Müntefering, Federal Minister for Labour and Social Affairs, elucidated the labour market and employment policies of the coalition government. Hermann Otto Solms, FDP MP, Heike Maria Kunstmann, of the employers' association Gesamtmetal, and Wilhelm Adamy, of the union organisation, DGB, expressed their opinions from their various standpoints. Joachim Möller, University of Regensburg, present a scholarly analysis. Then, Peter Hampe, Technical University of Dresden, and Ulrich Walwei, Michael Feil and Lisa Tillmann, of the Institute for Labour Market and Employment Research, IAB, Nuremberg, examined the lessons Germany can learn from economic and labour market policies since reunification in the fight against unemployment. In conclusion Michael Knogler, Munich Eastern Europe Institute, Wolfgang Quaisser, Political Academy Tutzing, Wolfgang Ochel, Ifo Institute, and Henry Werner, Danish Embassy, Berlin, reported on the labour market policies of the new EU member states, the USA as well as Denmark.