Explore the roots and reach of unemployment insurance and social control
This study surveys how early 20th-century ideas about welfare, labor markets, and public policy shaped programs like unemployment insurance. It connects economic theory with real-world measures across Britain and other nations, showing how protection for workers evolved amid Depression and war.
The book frames unemployment insurance as both an economic tool and a social safeguard. It explains key principles, such as fair risk sharing, prevention of unemployment, and incentives to reduce joblessness, while tracing how different countries implemented and adjusted these ideas over time.
- Clear explanations of the main issues in social and economic control, including pensions, workmen’s compensation, and regulation of trusts.
- Case-by-case look at how Britain and other nations approached unemployment insurance after World War I.
- Discussion of how public policy evolved to balance relief with prevention and responsibility.
- Historical context that helps readers understand later shifts in welfare policy.
Ideal for readers of social policy, economics, and labor history who want a grounded, accessible overview of early unemployment insurance and its lasting impact.