There exists a twofold relationship between the factors affecting adoption of a single currency in Europe, employment, and growth. On one hand, the operation of the euro will be hindered if rigidities in labour and product markets persist - hence low employment and slow growth may be a cause of poor performance of the single currency. On the other hand, the functioning of the euro will affect future patterns of European employment.Pier Carlo Padoan and his distinguished group of contributing authors go beyond the common European-based debates to consider the impact of the euro as a global currency on the evolution of European labour, product, and regional markets.

This insightful work will be of great interest to professional economists and post-graduate students in economics, international relations, and European studies.