The potential additional labour force and labour market attachment

Increasingly tight labour market conditions stimulate policy makers to activate ‘the potential additional labour force’: i.e. the labour market inactive who are still marginally attached to the labour market. Yet, so far, little is known about those in the potential additional labour force. The main aim of this project is to study the experience of this group through the notion of labour market attachment, marginal attachment in particular. We define four objectives: to develop and validate the notion of labour market attachment (obj. 1) and a related instrument (obj. 2), to gain insight in the underlying dynamics of how marginal attachment is shaped and evolves (obj. 3) and to support policy makers in achieving better monitoring of those in the potential additional labour market (obj. 4).

Keywords:mixed methods, potential additional labour force, labour market attachment, goal engagement, theory of practice

Disciplines:Work and organisational psychology, Human resource management