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  • © 2017

Spanish Sociedades Laborales—Activating the Unemployed

A Potential New EU Active Labour Market Policy Instrument

Palgrave Macmillan
  • Focuses on crucial new empirical data in the context of the recent reform of the legal framework for SLs in Spain

  • Is the first English language analysis of Sociedades Laborales

  • Directly addresses most pressing challenges to the EU economies, i.e. increasing unemployment as well as distributive justice

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Table of contents (6 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xxii
  2. Introduction

    • Jens Lowitzsch, Sophie Dunsch, Iraj Hashi
    Pages 1-7
  3. Review of the Literature on Employee-Owned Firms

    • Jens Lowitzsch, Sophie Dunsch, Iraj Hashi
    Pages 9-19
  4. Regulatory Framework

    • Jens Lowitzsch, Sophie Dunsch, Iraj Hashi
    Pages 21-40
  5. Empirical Data on Sociedades Laborales, 1999–2013

    • Jens Lowitzsch, Sophie Dunsch, Iraj Hashi
    Pages 41-71
  6. Evaluation of the Programme

    • Jens Lowitzsch, Sophie Dunsch, Iraj Hashi
    Pages 73-92
  7. Conclusions

    • Jens Lowitzsch, Sophie Dunsch, Iraj Hashi
    Pages 93-101
  8. Back Matter

    Pages 103-129

About this book

This book investigates the potential of the Spanish Sociedades Laborales (SLs) as an instrument of active labour market policy for re-turning the unemployed to the labour market and also the transferability of the scheme to other EU Member States. Spanish Sociedades Laborales (SLs) – mostly small and micro enterprises – are a qualified form of conventional corporation, majority-owned by their permanent employees. Unemployed persons can capitalise their unemployment benefits as a lump sum to start a new SL or to recapitalise an existing SL by joining it. This makes SLs similar to start-up subsidies for the unemployed, an established instrument of active labour market policy across the EU. The new 2015 Law on Worker-Owned and Participatory Companies substantially modernised the concept of SLs 30 years after its inception. 


The book tackles two currently widely discussed policy issues at both the EU level as well as the national level, i.e., reactivating unemployed in the context of ALMP and encouraging employee co-ownership in the context of the economic reform agenda in particular with regard to corporate governance, regional economic stimuli and distributive justice. 


Authors and Affiliations

  • Europa Universität Viadrina, Frankfurt (Oder), Germany

    Jens Lowitzsch, Sophie Dunsch

  • School of Business, Leadership and Economics, Staffordshire University, Stoke on Trent, United Kingdom

    Iraj Hashi

About the authors

Jens Lowitzsch is Kelso Professor of Comparative Law, East European Business Law and European Legal Policy at the European University Viadrina, Frankfurt-on-Oder, Germany.

Sophie Dunsch is Research Associate and Chair of Economics at the European University Viadrina, Frankfurt-on-Oder, Germany.

Iraj Hashi is Professor of Economics and Director of the Centre for Research on Emerging Economies at Staffordshire University Business School, UK.


Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Spanish Sociedades Laborales—Activating the Unemployed

  • Book Subtitle: A Potential New EU Active Labour Market Policy Instrument

  • Authors: Jens Lowitzsch, Sophie Dunsch, Iraj Hashi

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-54870-8

  • Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Cham

  • eBook Packages: Economics and Finance, Economics and Finance (R0)

  • Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2017

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-319-54869-2Published: 30 November 2017

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-3-319-85506-6Published: 30 August 2018

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-319-54870-8Published: 19 November 2017

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XXII, 129

  • Number of Illustrations: 27 b/w illustrations

  • Additional Information: Pages 112

  • Topics: Labor Economics, Industrial Organization, European Economics

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access