This broad survey of unemployment is a benchmark summary of the authors position which became hugely influential. This second edition brings the analysis up to date by relating it to recent empirical developments. This book is a major source of reference for both scholars and students.

Why has unemployment fallen in some countries and not in others? This classic book is now re-issued with an updated introduction, which shows how well the analysis explains recent developments. The book is both a textbook and an original monograph in which the authors set out their analytic framework which has now become standard in some countries. The book both explains unemployment and shows how it can be reduced. It contains a long overview chapter which is accessible to any non-specialist with an elementary knowledge of economics.

'Taken simply as a review of the literature, the book is a monumental achievement ... There is no question that this book is essential reading for economists concerned with unemployment, but it should also be studied by everyone in industry concerned with wage bargaining, whether employer or trade unionist.'