Labour Time Reduction as an Instrument for Full Employment: a Revival from the Discussion of the 1930s

Several surveys show that since 1980 the Dutch economy has experienced its most severe postwar recession. Demand and output growth started to fall in 1980 and continued to do so till 1985 In 1984 unemployment reached a record level (about 17 per cent), and has fallen only very slowly since then. Another remarkable characteristic is the withdrawal from the labour force of women, young people and social security beneficiaries