When the State Makes the Market. An Empirical Study of Economic Transactions in the Complementary Labor Market in Switzerland

Abstract

This contribution presents the results of a research project about the complementary labor market in Switzerland. This market is defined as a service market where different state agencies guarantee an offer of workplaces for persons belonging to specific categories (for instance, the  unemployed, the disabled, or persons on social assistance). Based on the empirical findings of the qualitative research, the article depicts three different approaches to how state agencies make the market. Every single approach also entails a specific image of the market.