One of the four models of
employment and social
welfare adopted by countries
OECD, as identified in a
typography developed by Belgian economist
André Sapir. Countries with 'Rhineland model' policies include
Austria,
Belgium,
France,
Germany and
Luxembourg. Another term used to describe these countries is the continental social partnership model.
These countries typically have:
unemployment benefits and easy to access government payments.
publically-funded pensions.
early retirement wages.
high taxation, although not as high as in Nordic model countries.
strong trade unions that variably lead to high labour protection (such as in France) and/or high wages (such as in Germany).
Rhineland model countries are reasonably successful in mitigating poverty, yet nevertheless are blighted with high unemployment, especially in terms of job creation. Socially the model is fractious, splitting highly taxed workers ('insiders') against a growing population of welfare recipients ('outsiders'), who despite being adequately cared for by the state may lack a measure of social inclusion that employment provides.
See also:
Nordic model
Anglo-Saxon model
Mediterranean model