Published in 1998, this book looks at unemployment in Ireland, the country's most serious social and economic problem. It is the major contributor to poverty, exclusion and social decay. This book contributes to the growing debate on the unemployment problem in Ireland. It is the first academic collection of papers on this issue and contains contributions from some of Ireland's most respected economists. It offers alternative views of the Irish labour market, with these views shedding light on many aspects of the unemployment problem, including exchange rates influences, aggregate demand analysis, labour market policies and the historical perspective. Since this book assesses the problem of unemployment from different perspectives, it should widen the discussion of this most serious issue.