Transitional Labour Market and Flexicurity Arrangements in Denmark: What Can Europe Learn?

The positive shifts in Denmark’s labour market policy which led to the so-called Danish job miracle as an example of transitional labour markets (TLM) and flexicurity strategies that have stood the test of practicability. There are indeed good reasons to investigate and evaluate what can be learned from the Danish experience and which of the experiences are transferable to other countries. This chapter deals with this learning aspect in order to determine if the Danish experience can be used as a successful and transferable example of TLM and flexicurity arrangements, and in that respect act as an inspiration in the development of a European Social Model. In Denmark, the mid-1990s saw the introduction of a number of TLM arrangements, including job rotation and leave schemes, geared towards improving the employability of the unemployed. The main attraction of Denmark is its uniqueness as a European country which has implemented an encompassing version of a specific form of flexicurity and TLM arrangements.