URBAN REVITALIZATION AND THE LABOR-MARKET PARADOX IN THE RANDSTAD

The urban revitalization policy in the Netherlands did not succeed in bringing down unemployment. Employment growth paradoxically ran parall el to high levels of unemployment which have an increasingly structura l and localized character. Firstly, this article analyzes theoreticall y the relation between the revitalization policies and the labour mark et paradox with the help of the concept of hysteresis. Secondly, the s patial pattern of the urban labour market is analyzed. It is shown tha t the urban labour market paradox has a selective spatial pattern and development. Next, these findings are put in a framework of urban rene wal and labour market policy. A concluding section stresses the need t o revitalize spatial labour market policy by a larger differentiation among groups and areas.