Jacob Christensen

Theda Skocpol is obviously not a HillBilly Clinton-fan:

Yes, she wants a big break, she desperately wants the nomination she and Bill believe is hers by right. We all know that. But where is her authenticity and her dignity and her sense of any proportion?

Authenticity and dignity and a sense of any proportion? In an electoral campaign? Studying political science relieved me of any such expectations a long time ago. And that was in Denmark.

Inspired by the earlier post, I tried to take a look at the Danish labour market statistics. Data are only easily available from 1997-2006 (if I bothered, I could use my Statistical 10-year Reviews) but this is the general picture, using the population between 16 and 64 years¹ as the starting point:

(Larger version here)

If we look at the labour market participation for men, the picture looks like this:

(Larger version here)

The relatively low rates of labour market participation for non-Western immigrants² is of cause a major issue in Danish immigration and integration policy. (The figures for women are equally interesting but these will have to do for now).

1. The upper age limit is important as the retirement age was lowered from 67 to 65 for people born in 1941 and later some years ago [↩]
2. This includes people who have been granted political asylum but not asylum seekers [↩]

• Schmitt – Baker: Old Europe Goes to Work: Rising Employment Rates in the European Union
  This report shows that Europe’s welfare states have nearly closed the employment gap with respect to the United States for workers aged 25 to 54 years old.
  (tags: economics labourmarket usa europe comparativepolitics)
• Helle Thorning-Schmidt: Ni progressive valg for Danmark – Politiken.dk
  (tags: denmark politics socialdemocracy hellethorningschmidt)