Beyond the numbers
Equality of opportunity in labour market state intervention
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20318/universitas.2026.10082Keywords:
unemployment, fairness, job opportunities, luck egalitarianism, meritocracy, public policiesAbstract
This paper explores three different versions of the principle of equality of opportunity to identify an ethical-normative justification for certain labor market activation policies. The focus is specifically on the subsidized hiring of the unemployed youth. Each interpretation is presented alongside its main ideas and the challenges it may entail. Roughly speaking, the principle of fair equality of opportunity seems qualified to justify such policies. Finally, the paper addresses a methodological question regarding which criteria should be relevant for evaluating public policies. It challenges the view that exclusively economic considerations are sufficient, advocating instead for the inclusion of ethical and political values inherent to each political system. The paper has a clarificatory aim and does not seek to determine the "correct" interpretation of the principle of equality of opportunity, but rather to identify the most suitable justification for subsidized hiring.
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