This book investigates whether labor market rigidities are the primary cause of stagnant economic growth and unemployment within European nations. Robert Boyers compiles research from economists across seven distinct European countries to challenge the prevailing orthodoxy that deregulation is the sole path to prosperity. The text evaluates how varying systems of wage bargaining, employment protection, and social welfare frameworks influence national economic performance.

Experts recognize this work as a significant contribution to the debate on European economic policy, particularly for its focus on institutional diversity. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the rigorous comparative methodology employed by the contributors.