Title: New Regionalism in the UK: eliminating spatial disparities in unemployment?

Authors: Beth Cook

Addresses: Centre of Full Employment and Equity (CofFEE), Research Cottage, University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan NSW 2308, Australia

Abstract: Regional employment policies in the UK can be classified as conforming to the New Regionalism (NR) paradigm with a |Third Way| concern for social inclusion. In place of the Keynesian welfare state policy of full employment, the government favours development of clusters and promotion of social entrepreneurship as the engines of economic growth, stimulus for labour demand, developing the |employability| of workless groups and as a means of addressing social exclusion. This article scrutinises the viability of this programme as a means of eliminating spatial disparities in unemployment and finds that it is incapable of achieving this objective in an environment of macroeconomic constraint.

Keywords: clusters; local employment policy; regional policy; social entrepreneurship; unemployment; new regionalism; UK; United Kingdom; social inclusion; spatial disparities; macroeconomic constraint.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEWE.2007.019284

International Journal of Environment, Workplace and Employment, 2007 Vol.3 No.3/4, pp.285 - 300

Published online: 06 Jul 2008 *

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