Partnerships: The Key to Job Creation : Experiences from Oecd Countries : Local Initiatives for Employment Creation

Until a decade or so ago, job creation in OECD countries tended to be a matter solely for central governments. During the 1980s, this pattern began to change as high levels of unemployment persisted and became more widespread. Communities and regions began to solve their own economic development problems by mobilising local energies. The term "local employment initiatives" (ILEs) was coined to designate these efforts of local authorities, institutions, and agencies to counter rising unemployment and revitalize their local economies. This volume presents case studies of ILEs in OECD countries (including the several from the United States) which have developed under different circumstances: from sudden major plant closures which threaten to throw large numbers of people on the job market at the same time, to long-term and seemingly irreversible economic decline. These case studies describe examples of good practice as well as some of the pitfalls encountered. Despite the diversity of experiences, the common thread among them is the formation of effective partnerships between local, national, public, and private sectors.