Unsocial Europe: social protection or flexploitation?

Anne Gray, Pluto, 256 pages, paperback £ 15.99

This book presents a critical analysis of trends in European welfare systems and labour market policies. It describes how and why European labour markets are changing and how this affects the daily lives of those facing unemployment or precarious work.

The book's main themes are the shift from the idea of unemployment benefits as a right to a regime closer to American "workfare" and how this policy is used to drive the unemployed into low paid, temporary or part-time jobs associated with the new 'flexible' labour market.

The book gives a voice to unemployed people's experiences in the UK, Germany, France and Belgium. It illustrates their view of the job market as seen from the dole queue and how they assess benefit rules and welfare-to-work programmes.