Comparative Analysis of Active Labor Market Policies Between Taiwan and Korea：A Perspective of Historical Institutionalism

During the 80''s and 90''s of twenty century, almost all OECD countries are faced with the problem of high unemployment rate. Therefore, OECD put forward active labor policy of “changed from passive to positive and related social policy long-term strategy, active Labor Market Policies(ALMP) has gradually become one of the main policies to solve the problem of unemployment in Europe and America and other developed countries. By strengthening the labor market mobility and adjustment, this policy promotes the re development of labor, enable people to grasp the opportunity to work in a timely manner so as to improve the functioning of the labor market. In other words, the active labor market policy is designed to provide vocational training and employment services through the creation of employment opportunities in order to promote the re-employment of the unemployed. Belonging to the “Four Little Dragons of Asia”, there are many similarities in the economic development or the labor market between Taiwan and South Korea. On the other hand, the labor markets of these Taiwan and South Korea show a different appearance, with their own characteristics when facing unemployment and the labor market policy reforms, but they have implemented the active labor market policy to varying degrees. From the perspective of its development, it is closely related to the local government''s institutional structure, the mainstream concept as well as some of the key point of time and other concepts. Especially after the two major economic crises (historic turning point) in 1997 and 2008, ALMP of Taiwan and South Korea presented a different development path. On the basis of the theory of historical system, combined with the theory of policy transfer and with active labor market policy as the breakthrough point, this paper makes in-depth analysis of how to adjust measures to the labor market of the two countries in the economy after the record. By reviewing the development of positive labor market policy experience in Taiwan and South Korea, this paper finds that Taiwan and South Korea both began to explore the positive labor market policies in the middle of twentieth Century, and finds out the ups and downs with the economic boom. In particularly, after the Asian financial crisis in 1997, South Korea''s active labor market policy changed from ""decentralization"" to ""integration"". But both the active labor market policies of Taiwan and South Korea''s are presented less fiscal spending, temporary emergency type, promoting employment as the center and other characteristics.