Abstract
In this article, we propose a new variable in the formation of individual attitudes towards governmental responsibilities to the unemployed – the perceived magnitude of unemployment. Our choice is based on the argument that people’s reactions are strongly influenced by subjective meanings ascribed to social realities. We apply a multilevel analysis approach and mainly use the European Social Survey (2008). Results show that the perceived magnitude of unemployment positively influences public attitudes towards governmental responsibilities to the unemployed, when corrected for a series of relevant individual and national characteristics. Moreover, of all tested measures of actual unemployment rates, only the long-term unemployment rate has a significant effect on attitudes towards governmental responsibilities to the unemployed. Interestingly, this effect is negative, which raises questions about how the social realities of unemployment translate into perceptions of unemployment.
Highlights
During the past decades, the European politics of welfare state retrenchment have prompted discussions about welfare state recalibration and the extent to which governments should exercise their welfare responsibilities (Hemerijck 2012)
Uncurbed unemployment rates in Europe have stimulated debates about the ways states should cope with this problem
Public perceptions may indicate how much social legitimacy the welfare state has in supporting needy groups
Summary
The European politics of welfare state retrenchment have prompted discussions about welfare state recalibration and the extent to which governments should exercise their welfare responsibilities (Hemerijck 2012). Uncurbed unemployment rates in Europe have stimulated debates about the ways states should cope with this problem. One way to find a “golden mean” for the extent to which governments should provide welfare provisions is to consult the public at large. It could be stated that society has an established opinion, which should be taken into account when governments design welfare policies. Public perceptions may indicate how much social legitimacy the welfare state has in supporting needy groups. In the case of unemployment, an analysis of public perceptions is highly relevant; 36% of European respondents pointed to unemployment as the main national concern (Eurobarometer 2007). Forty per cent of the same Eurobarometer respondents indicated that unemployment is the main worry for the generation
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