Labour Market Policies and the Public Employment Service Proponents of an active labour market policy are now claiming part of the credit for large falls in structural unemployment rates that have occurred in some OECD countries. Advances in information technology which facilitate matching job seekers to jobs modern management methods and a favourable economic climate in recent years have encouraged innovative approaches and created new opportunities for the Public Employment Service to help the unemployed return to work. This book presents the proceedings of a conference on Labour Market Policies and the Public Employment Service organised jointly by the OECD and the Czech Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. Among the themes addressed are: front line employment service operations one stop offices and decentralised management; customer service and employer service; the advanced use of information technology; eligibility conditions for unemployment benefits; job guarantees for the long term unemployed and other strategies of intervention in the unemployment spell; and improving the accountability of the Public Employment Service through external audits the use of performance indicators appropriate financing mechanisms and contestability in the provision of services. The papers reflect the views of key actors politicians senior officials from national labour ministries and employment services front line managers and prominent academic experts on these important issues.