Instead, they will favour activist policies designed to help the unemployed through labour-market intervention.

ECONOMIST: Europe hits a brick wall

Since then, the government has promised to limit further intervention in the labour market in the interests of greater flexibility, and has been urging its European partners to do likewise.

BBC: Unions reap social benefits

However, this disassociation of the long term unemployed from the labour market is a real problem and it is one that can usefully use government intervention to solve it.

FORBES: After Six Months Unemployment Turns Into Permanent Unemployment