The main objective of this course is to analyze the multifaceted role of the state in regulating, directing, and overseeing working life. It provides students with a theoretical and analytical framework to understand the institutional capacity and forms of state intervention in areas such as labor markets, employment policies, social security, and industrial relations. The course examines the policy-making process, the state’s dual role as employer and regulator, the functioning of social dialogue mechanisms, and the impact of public administration on employment structures. It also aims to develop students’ abilities to critically evaluate current labor policies and to analyze them from a public administration perspective.

This course explores the influence of the state on working life from both historical and contemporary perspectives. It investigates how labor management has evolved through the emergence of the welfare state, models of social governance, neoliberal transformations, and state restructuring processes. The course examines state roles in public employment policies, social security systems, labor inspection, and trade union relations. Topics such as social dialogue, tripartism (state-employer-union), and administrative reform in the public sector are also covered. Moreover, the course analyzes how emerging global challenges—such as globalization, digitalization, and the climate crisis—impact state intervention in labor relations through current examples.