Non-economic perspectives on the job network

From a traditional economist’s viewpoint the Job Network can be viewed simply as another set of labour market programs and labour exchange processes. Much of the research interest in the Network, however, has gone beyond just its capacity to produce more effective and efficient labour market outcomes. It is commonly cited both as a form of radical policy intervention, an experiment in contractualism and competition, and as a relational structure which has altered the way job seekers experience themselves as unemployed people – and thus as a new technique of governance. This article provides a critical commentary on three articles that explore aspects of these non-economic perspectives on the Job Network. To set the scene for this commentary the article also reviews the changing organisational and policy structure of the Job Network and considers the current evidence on its outcomes.