RBA Annual Conference – 1998 What Works Among Active Labour Market Policies: Evidence from OECD Countries' Experiences

Table 5: Composition of Expenditures on Active Labour Market Measures
As a per cent of total expenditures on active measures; 1985 and 1996(a)
PES administration Labour market training(b) Youth measures Subsidies to private sector employment(c) Direct job creation in the public sector Measures for the disabled
1985 1996 1985 1996 1985 1996 1985 1996 1985 1996 1985 1996
Australia 27 29   4 18   15 7   17 11   28 27   8 8
Austria 38 37   31 35   10 2   9 5   3 8   8 13
Belgium 13 16   15 20   1 6   2 8   58 41   11 10
Canada 37 36   55 38   5 5   0 10   3 6   0 5
Czech Republic – 71   – 5   – 5   – 5   – 10   – 3
Denmark 7 5   37 51   19 7   5 5   15 13   17 20
Finland 9 9   29 33   6 13   5 6   41 32   10 7
France 20 12   39 29   25 19   9 15   0 17   8 7
Germany 26 17   24 32   6 5   6 7   15 21   23 19
Greece 40 42   12 28   16 9   26 20   4 0   1 1
Hungary – 30   – 30   – 0   – 15   – 25   – 0
Ireland 11 15   42 13   34 14   6 15   6 38   1 5
Japan 17 26   16 24   0 0   61 48   6 2   0 1
Luxembourg 8 10   0 3   18 50   23 20   0 1   50 16
Netherlands 21 26   15 9   3 7   1 9   3 10   57 39
New Zealand 11 18   16 46   1 13   5 14   65 4   2 4
Norway 19 14   16 16   7 5   3 5   28 8   27 52
Poland – 7   – 7   – 30   – 31   – 21   – 4
Portugal 18 11   51 37   10 34   3 8   7 3   10 7
Spain 25 13   7 52   0 12   37 14   29 7   2 2
Sweden 12 11   24 23   10 5   5 11   15 19   34 31
Switzerland 40 21   7 13   0 0   1 2   0 29   53 35
United Kingdom 22 43   9 22   35 26   4 1   25 2   4 6
United States 25 39   42 20   12 15   4 2   3 3   14 21
EU(d) 19 19   24 28   14 15   10 10   16 15   17 13
Total OECD(e) 21 21   23 27   11 12   11 11   17 14   16 15

Notes: (a) Data refer to 1986 for Denmark and Portugal, to 1987 for Japan, to 1991 for the Czech Republic, to 1992 for Hungary and Poland, and to 1995 for Australia, Belgium, France, Greece, Hungary, Japan, New Zealand, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States.
(b) Including training for employed adults as well as unemployed adults.
(c) Including support to unemployed persons starting their own enterprises.
(d) Unweighted average.
(e) Unweighted average excluding the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland.

Source: OECD database on labour market programs.