New Fields of Employment: Problems and Possibilities in Local and Community Economic Development

There has been a renewal of interest in the possibilities for new local employment in the social economy and this may be a suitable area where community initiative and effort can be concentrated. The literature suggests that many of the tasks typically undertaken under the banner of community economic initiative can be very often misspecified and, as a consequence, the results can be somewhat unsatisfactory. This paper argues that it is preferable that community effort should be concentrated on those parts of the economy where it can have a legitimate role to play and where the activities in question connect directly with community and local betterment. Some case studies of experimental projects are used to discuss how employment possibilities might arise out of needs in the service sector and the informal economy.