CAP and Rural Jobs: Analysis of Studies

Abstract

This chapter summarizes understanding of the impact of the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) upon rural and agricultural jobs by reviewing the published literature on this topic over the past 30 years. It considers policy modifications over the period in which these studies were conducted, and how these changes are likely to have affected the overall pattern and balance of CAP impacts upon rural jobs, within and beyond the farm sector. This chapter starts by summarizing the intervention logic of CAP instruments in order to anticipate the kinds of impact that such policies might generate, and to consider how they would vary in time and space. After describing the methodological approach for the literature review, some patterns that emerged in the literature are discussed in order to illustrate the link between predicted theoretical outcomes and actual employment outcomes.