This book argues that active labour market policies are necessary to improve the position of the unemployed but have so far performed relatively poorly. The contributing authors seek ways to improve active labour market policy and consider three means of doing so: improving the quality by better targeting and by better-designed measures, more efficient implementation and delivery, and better performance by benchmarking the various implementation agencies involved.The book also contains detailed descriptions of the new delivery systems in Australia and the Netherlands. These are countries that have privatized a considerable part of the implementation of reintegration services for the unemployed and therefore can provide valuable lessons.

The Evaluation of Active Labour Market Policies will appeal to a wide audience including researchers and scholars of labour economics, sociology and political science. Policymakers within ministries and other public organizations and NGO's dealing with labour market issues and partners, will also find much to engage them within the book.