Are local employment initiatives able to generate quality employment? The impact on the female labour force

Abstract

This article aims at analysing the quality of the potential employment created by local employment initiatives and more specifically the impact on the female labour force. The discussion on gender and the quality of created employment seems to be of importance as most European Union Member States are promoting job creation linked to local initiatives in typical female work areas such as caring and domestic work. The second section outlines important elements for the development of local initiatives, while the third section estimates the potential employment which is likely to be occupied by women. In section four an analysis of the quality of the created employment and the impact on the male and female labour force can be found. Section five briefly summarises the employment policies put forward in the European Union and section six shows real-life examples of local initiatives. Conclusions can be found in section seven.