Social Protection and Chronic Poverty: Portugal and the Southern European Welfare Regime

This paper aims to assess the extent to which social policies address chronic poverty in south European Union countries and particularly in Portugal. The Southern European welfare regime (Leibfried, 1993; Ferrera, 1996; Bonoli, 1997; Matsaganis et al, 2003), which includes Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain, has been seen as less developed and less generous in covering social risks. Despite different country profiles, in what Portugal present some distinctive features, South European countries also exhibit several target inefficiencies that make social policies much less successful in tackling extreme and chronic poverty. Possible explanations of that fact may rest in institutional factors, such as the central role of family and the less accountability of the state, the high tolerance of inequality and poverty, and, in broader terms, in attitudes toward inequality and poverty embedded in social and political practices.Chronic Poverty; Social Policy; Portugal; Southern European Welfare Regime

Welfare Regimes in the UE 15 and in the Enlarged Europe - an Exploratory Analysis

The basic aim of this paper is to assess existing welfare regimes in the countries of European Union before and after the enlargement of May 2004 (EU 15 and EU 25) following a comprehensive approach that considers different dimensions of welfare through an extended set of variables. The paper starts with a brief presentation of current debates on welfare regimes and the new social policy agenda in the European Union. It proceeds with the selection of different dimensions of social welfare and social policy, and related key variables that constitute the database for the following statistical analysis. Correlations, factor analysis and cluster analysis are performed in order to produce the clustering of welfare regimes as well as a tentative interpretation of underlying characteristics and patterns of welfare mix and social policies in European Union.

Welfare Regimes in the UE 15 and in the Enlarged Europe: An exploratory analysis

The basic aim of this paper is to assess existing welfare regimes in the countries of European Union before and after the enlargement of May 2004 (EU 15 and EU 25) building on a comprehensive approach that considers different dimensions of welfare through an extended set of variables. The paper starts with a brief presentation of current debates on welfare regimes and the new social policy agenda in the European Union. It proceeds with the selection of different dimensions of social welfare and social policy and related key variables that make up the database for the following multivariate statistical analysis, used in order to produce a clustering of welfare regimes. The paper concludes with a tentative interpretation of the underlying characteristics and patterns of current welfare mix and social policies in European Union.Welfare Regimes; Social Policy; European Union; Enlargement; Cluster Analysis

Dinâmica de Rendimentos, Persistência da Pobreza e Políticas Sociais em Portugal

This paper aims to investigate income and poverty dynamics in Portugal, with a special focus on chronic poverty. The analysis of income distribution changes in a representative panel of households in Portugal allow us to understand prevailing income mobility patterns as well as quantify and qualify chronic poverty incidence. The paper develops and applies several income mobility measures in addition to standard poverty rates and flows, and poverty spells. It proceeds with the identification of the driving forces of inequality and poverty, and especially of the persistence of poverty after social transfers. Finally, it discusses some implications for social policy. The study is conducted mainly by using microdata on Portugal from the European Community Household Panel (ECHP), covering the period from 1994 to 1997. Complementary secondary analysis on data on Portugal and the EU 15 is used in order to present some comparative analysis.Income dynamics; poverty dynamics; chronic poverty; social policy; ECHP; Portugal

Low-wage employment in Portugal: Social dimension and recent evolution

Low-wage employment is one of the main origins of poverty and social exclusion in Portugal, along with low pensions granted to elder citizens. In this paper our aim is to provide a first approach of the social dimension of low-wage employment in Portugal, analysing its incidence and profile among regions, sectors, professions, skill levels and gender. This decomposition analysis will stress the most important factors underlying the phenomenon. At a first stage we shall study wage structure and wage inequality evolution in the last decade. The incidence and evolution of low wages and minimum legal wages will be compared whith average wages, in order to evaluate the situation of the low payed vis a vis the other better paid workers. We proceed analysing low-wage decomposition by the criteria mentioned above, taken separately and in interaction, to identify the main determinants and the cumulative effects of these factors in the explanation and evolution of low wages. The main data set available is "Quadros de Pessoal" (Data base of worker characteristics provided by firms) from the MESS ( Employment and Social Security Ministry). In this study we will use directly this data base. Other statistical sources will also be used for complementary aspects. We must say that the data on these area of research are still insufficiently developed in Portugal, and that, in consequence, socio-economic knowledge on low-wage employment as a mechanism of social exclusion is still incipient. Low-wage are but one of the dimensions of social exclusion, closely related with poverty as insufficient economic resources, and is often associated with other dimensions of social exclusion in the labour market, such as unemployment vulnerability and job instability. The crucial role in this triad - low-pay, unemployment, job instability - is played by skill levels, which are particularly low in our country, as we?ll try to demonstrate. Social exclusion must however be analysed at the family unit. As long as income is concerned, wages are far the most important source, particularly for low income active families, and the ?low skills - low pay - low income? chain seems to be the major determinant of social exclusion. The evidence about this mechanism can be found in recent data on Family Budgets.

Diagnóstico ambiental e análise de risco probabilística de uma pedreira abandonada

Tese de mestrado integrado. Engenharia do Ambiente. Faculdade de Engenharia. Universidade do Porto. 200