Hire, fire, retrain: Danish labour market model eyed by Europe

[GreenPartyVoter]

COPENHAGEN (AFP) - At 43, Niclas Jensen is a perfect example of Denmark's successful labour market model: he has scuttled from unemployment queues to new jobs to retraining centres under a flexible system that lets employers hire and fire easily thanks to a social safety-net for employees.

<snip>

And everyday, the Dane feels that he "is useful, learning something, and most importantly, avoiding the idleness of unemployment" when he hops on his bicycle to ride to work at the Vangsgaard company in a Copenhagen suburb.

An employment agency found him the job, which is temporary but may be extended. He earns a gross monthly salary of 16,000 kroner (2,150 euros, 2,566 dollars), considered low by Danish standards, which is subsidized 50 percent by the state and municipality.

"I don't have any job security ... since the boss can let me go if he doesn't have any more work for me. But that wouldn't be the end of the world. I would get almost the same amount on unemployment," Jensen tells AFP in an interview.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20051024/lf_afp/eusummitdenmarkjobs

[xchrom]

1. even in countries with high unemployment, scandinavia

as a whole takes an optimistic view and aggressively supports and encourages it's citizens.

many like this guy are continuously adding to the system -- i.e. even he receives subsidies he takes advantage of teh retraining gets temporary unemployment, pays taxes, etc.

over all a much healthier take on the labour economy.

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. I agree. Wish we could do that here but you I can only imagine

what the RW bloviators would say and do to anyone who suggests trying it. :P

[never cry wolf]

3. Have you seen this link?

http://www.american-pictures.com/english/racism/articles/welfare.htm

Fighting for the welfare state in Denmark. It's kinda long and takes a bit to get to the meat of things but it's a great comparison betweer their system and ours.

[GreenPartyVoter]

4. Thanks!

[GreenPartyVoter]

5. Anyone else care to chime in on this very interesting article?

[GreenPartyVoter]

6. Kick? Where are all my socialist buddies? At a Fitzmas party?

[never cry wolf]

7. lol, I'll give a kick..... n/t

[IChing]

8. My son and daughter live, work and go to school in Denmark

I worked in Denmark in the early 90s and late 70s. There has been an erosion of the unions but as compared to the states there is no comparison.
My daughter gets paid to go to college,
my son who is out of school gets bi-stanz help,
but must take a job now and then in order to keep collecting.
I was over there last year in Nov/Dec
and had an abbess tooth,
they x-rayed it
clean it up,
I said how much
, they said nothing.

I would live there but the place aggravates my arthritis so horribly that I'm in extreme pain.

[GreenPartyVoter]

9. Don't forget their great parental leave. :^) Yeah, Denmark is doing

very well though I am sorry to hear that the unions are struggling, and that you can't live there for health reasons. :hug: