'Aligning active labor market policies with national growth strategies: a comparative study of Portugal and Spain', an article by Paulo Marques and Pedro Videira

The article ‘Aligning active labor market policies with national growth strategies: a comparative study of Portugal and Spain’, co-authored by Paulo Marques (DINÂMIA'CET-Iscte researcher and coordinator of the Youth Employment Observatory) and Pedro Videira (DINÂMIA'CET-Iscte researcher) has been published by Cambridge University Press in the Journal of Public Policy.

There has been a marked escalation in youth unemployment in numerous European Union (EU) member states over the past two decades, most notably in Southern Europe. Whereas the youth unemployment rate in Portugal surged from 8.9% in 2000 to 38.1% in 2013, in Spain, it increased from 26% to 55.5% over the same timeframe. The rising youth unemployment rates have highlighted the imperative for public policies designed to enhance the employability of young individuals. Consequently, there has been a proliferation of active labor market policies (ALMPs) targeting youth across the EU, especially in the wake of the 2008 global economic crisis. Nevertheless, member states have displayed differing priorities in the formulation of these ALMPs. These divergent policy approaches are clearly visible in Portugal and Spain, countries characterized by high youth unemployment rates between 2000 and 2019, including among higher education graduates, as well as similar welfare regimes and economic growth models.

While Portugal’s policy measures concentrated primarily on boosting the employability of higher education graduates, Spain directed its efforts toward reforming its vocational education and training (VET) system. This research aims to shed light on the rationale behind these distinct political priorities by exploring the question: Why did Portugal focus on ALMP for graduates while Spain prioritized VET?

The article is accessible here.