Download or read book Does Eurosclerosis Matter? written by Michelle Riboud and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2002 with total page 74 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Whether or not labor market rigidities are an important contributor to persistently high levels of unemployment remains at the center of an important debate in Europe. European labor markets are often viewed as rigid and inflexible in opposition to those in North America where legislation is less protective and fosters more mobility. This paper shows that the labor market policies adopted by Central and Eastern European countries, aspiring to join the European Union, do not appear excessively rigid. However, significant and wide- ranging economic reform programs make it difficult to assess the impact of labor market institutions."