This book is a commanding assessment of labour market theory across the social sciences. It provides a radically original critique of labour market theory, which draws constructively but critically on existing literature. The work: * contributes to the debates on key issues in labour economics such as unemployment, gender, equal pay and the minimum theory * illustrates the policy implications in empirical studies * supplements existing orthodox labour market theory texts.

Ben Fine is Professor of Economics at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London. He served as an expert adviser to the South African Presidential Labour Market Commission in 1995/96. His recent co-authored books include Consumption in the Age of Affluence: The World of Food (Routledge, 1996) and South Africa's Political Economy (Hurst, 1997).

Part 1 The state of play; Chapter 1 Introduction and overview; Part 2 Critical assessments; Chapter 2 The macroeconomics of labour markets; Chapter 3 Human capital theory; Chapter 4 Flexibility and institutions in labour markets; Part 3 Segmented labour market theory; Chapter 5 From dual to segmented labour markets; Chapter 6 Neoclassical colonisation; Chapter 7 Towards a Marxist alternative; Part 4 From theory to policy; Chapter 8 Comparable worth; Chapter 9 Minimum wages; Part 5 The forward march of labour market theory halted?; Chapter 10 The specificity of labour;