People who work but do not earn enough to live decent lives are no longer found just in the US; Western European social scientists describe how the problem is returning there, delve into its possible causes, and suggest remedies. Introductory chapters look at the continent as a whole, then case studies focus on eight countries. Overall explanations and policy options conclude. Among the country studies are discussions of the silent transformation of the Dutch welfare state and the rise of in-work poverty, the working poor in the two countries of Italy, and low pay and household poverty during Ireland's economic boom. Annotation ⓒ2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

1. The different faces of in-work poverty across welfare state regimes = 17 2. The working poor in European welfare states: empirical evidence from a multilevel perspective = 47 3. When famialism fails: the nature and causes of in-work poverty in Belgium = 77 4. The different roles of low-wage work in Germany: regional, demographical and temporal variances in the poverty risk of low-paid workers = 96 5. The silent transformation of the Dutch welfare state and the rise of in-work poverty = 124 6. In-work poverty in a transitional labour market: Sweden, 1988-2003 = 155 7. 'Much ado about nothing?' Institutional framework and empirical findings on the working poor phenomenon in Finland from 1995 to 2005 = 179 8. Two countries in one: the working poor in Italy = 203 9. Is work a route out of poverty: what have New Labour's welfare-to-work measures meant for the working poor in Britain? = 227 10. Low pay and household poverty during Ireland's economic boom = 250 11. Combating in-work poverty in Europe: the policy options assessed = 273 12. Explaining in-work poverty within and across countries = 293