Work and the Social Safety Net

Work and the Social Safety Net: Labor Activation in Europe and the United States describes how in the 1990s and early 2000s many European countries adopted policy reforms aimed at activating those recipients apparently able to work. These policy reforms were put to the test during the Great Recession and its aftermath. This volume reviews the experiences from both Europe and the United States during this period. Work and the Social Safety Net identifies policies for activating recipients of safety-net programs while still preserving a strong social safety net--as a guide during the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and future downturns.