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Belot, Michèle, Philipp Kircher & Paul Muller (2026): Do the Long-Term Unemployed Benefit from Automated Occupational Advice during Online Job Search? In: The Economic Journal, Jg. 136, H. 673, S. 184-206. DOI:10.1093/ej/ueaf041

Abstract

"In a randomized field experiment, we provide suggestions about suitable occupations to long-term unemployed job seekers. The suggestions are automatically generated, integrated in an online job search platform, and fed into actual search queries. Effects on ‘reaching a cumulative earnings threshold’ and ‘finding a stable job’ are positive, large, and are more pronounced for those who are longer unemployed. Treated individuals include more occupations in their search and find more jobs in recommended occupations." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Homrighausen, Pia & Michael Oberfichtner (2026): Do caseworker meetings prevent unemployment? Evidence from a field experiment. In: European Economic Review, Jg. 183, 2025-11-21. DOI:10.1016/j.euroecorev.2025.105215

Abstract

"Caseworker meetings have been shown to accelerate exit from unemployment. We investigate whether they are also effective before job loss. In a natural field experiment in Germany, where workers must register with the employment agency up to three months before becoming unemployed, we offer caseworker meetings to jobseekers while they are still employed. Our results indicate that offering preventive meetings does not improve jobseekers’ labour market outcomes, despite bringing forward the first meeting. The intervention increases the total number of meetings, thereby consuming scarce caseworker resources, but does not influence jobseekers’ search behaviour - likely explaining its lack of effectiveness." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier) ((en))

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Malekinezhad, Fahimeh & Paul Courtney (2026): Framing the shift to supported employment: Exploring the impacts of a person-centred programme evaluation approach through peer led participatory research. In: Evaluation and program planning, Jg. 114. DOI:10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2025.102723

Abstract

"Employment support programs play a crucial role in assisting the unemployed in overcoming challenges to achieve their employment goals. The experiences of participants with multiple challenges provide insights into programme effectiveness in achieving personalised goals of employability, social development, and inclusion. This study contributes to the evaluation of supported employment by presenting a peer-derived framework grounded in participants lived experiences. Interviews with twelve participants revealed themes around employment barriers, participation opportunities, one-to-one support, achievements, and recommendations. Findings highlight the value of flexible, personalised pathways that not only enhance employability but also build confidence, motivation and support social inclusion. The developed framework including personalised support, meaningful activities, and self-perceived progress offers guidance for designing inclusive employment programmes and their evaluation. A key recommendation is the need for ongoing support to sustain employment among disadvantaged individuals managing social, mental, and physical health challenges. From an evaluation perspective, the framework demonstrates how participant-informed mechanisms—such as confidence and empowerment—drive employability and social skills, consistent with the Context–Mechanism–Outcome logic of realist evaluation. By situating peer-led evaluation within realist, empowerment, and utilisation-focused traditions, this study refines programme evaluation and strengthens its practical relevance. It shows how outcome-focused fidelity models, which capture structural quality, can be complemented by peer-led approaches capturing experiential quality. Together, these perspectives provide a holistic and transferable evaluation model that speaks to both programme design and lived experience. Beyond the local context, lessons learned highlight the value of inclusive, participatory evaluation methods in generating credible, stakeholder-driven insights and advancing more effective employment support practices globally." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Crown Copyright © 2025 Published by Elsevier Ltd.) ((en))

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Aparicio Fenoll, Ainoa & Roberto Quaranta (2025): The uneven effects of conditional cash transfers on women and men. In: Labour Economics, Jg. 94. DOI:10.1016/j.labeco.2025.102695

Abstract

"We compare the effects of training-conditional and unconditional cash transfer programs on the labor market outcomes of women and men. We use the experiment in Del Boca et al. (2021) where low-income households are randomly assigned to one of three groups: cash transfer conditional on a family-specific bundle of training programs, unconditional cash transfer with no access to those training programs, and no treatment. We exploit Social Security data, including all registered labor contracts in Italy. We find that cash transfers conditional on training have a positive and sizeable effect on males’ labor income and that this effect stays in place for at least two years after the program. Unconditional cash transfers did not affect men. In contrast, female employment is positively affected by both cash transfers regardless of access to the training, but the effect is smaller if they are conditional." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 Elsevier B.V. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.) ((en))

Abstract

"Publication metadata The EU labor market policy (LMP) database collects information about government actions to help people with a disadvantage in the labor market, primarily by facilitating and supporting transitions from unemployment or inactivity into employment. This can take the form of financial support – such as unemployment benefits – or practical support ranging from basic guidance services to the provision of training, work experience and other actions aimed at improving a persons’ employability. It also includes incentives for employers to take on people from defined target groups. In the LMP database these actions are referred to as interventions. The LMP data are collected annually by a network of national delegates from administrative sources in each country on the basis of a comprehensive methodology1 that provides detailed guidelines on which interventions to cover; how to classify interventions by type of action; how to measure the expenditure associated with each intervention; and how to measure the number of participants. The LMP data serve to inform analysts and policy makers about the labor market policies offered in the EU Member States and Norway and provide an evidence base for further development of policy. LMP data are used in routine monitoring and benchmarking frameworks adopted by the European Commission to identify key trends and challenges across the EU Member States and in analysis supporting a range of European policy initiatives. This note presents an analysis of the latest available LMP statistics. Readers are recommended to refer to information on the characteristics of LMP statistics provided in Annex 1 to aid understanding of the data presented." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Ardito, Chiara, Fabio Berton, Lia Pacelli & Marina Zanatta (2025): The Effect of the End of Hiring Incentives on Job and Employment Security. (IZA discussion paper / Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit 18024), Bonn, 62 S.

Abstract

"We analyze the long-term impact of hiring subsidies on both job and employment security. The subsidy that we examine was introduced in Italy through the 2015 Budget Law, with the goal of promoting open-ended contracts. We employ a non-linear difference-in-differences (NL-DiD) approach within a duration framework, using high-frequency, population-wide linked employer-employee administrative data from a large Italian region. Causal results on job security indicate that the subsidy's protective effect is short-lived. Excess separations from subsidized jobs peak in the exact same month in which the monetary incentive expires. No long-term protective effect of the subsidy is observed regarding employment security. These results hold across a wide range of worker and firm characteristics, showing surprisingly little heterogeneity. One notable exception concerns firm size. Furthermore, the expiration of subsidies disproportionately affects workers with low human capital. Our findings suggest that hiring subsidies are not effective in promoting either job or employment security for beneficiaries and that this raises questions about the efficacy of this common and costly policy, particularly when offered unconditionally." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Aubry, Agnès (2025): Support or Exploitation? Workfare Implementation and Migrants’ Resistance within the Swiss Reception System. In: Work, Employment and Society, Jg. 39, H. 6, S. 1394-1414. DOI:10.1177/09500170251344717

Abstract

"Drawing on ethnographic research, this article explores the daily implementation and lived experiences of workfare-inspired programs designed for migrants seeking protection, who are living in Swiss reception centres. It examines how they are compelled to perform a wide range of unpaid work in exchange for their support and how they negotiate that work. Using a situated intersectional approach, the article shows how workfare-inspired programmes become a tool for channeling the behaviors of racialized migrant men and underlines the everyday resistance practices and survival strategies migrant claimants use to face exploitation. This case study takes a critical stance towards mainstream accounts of migrant workfare that frame it as a pathway to integration and empowerment. It brings new empirical insights to critical welfare studies and contributes to research on contemporary social security reform by showing how migrant claimants routinely resist the implementation of workfare." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bedük, Selçuk, Anette Eva Fasang, Susan Harkness, Stefan B. Andrade, Zafer Buyukkececi, Satu Helske & Aleksi Karhula (2025): Insurance against risk? Cost and compensation of job loss in different welfare states. In: Socio-economic review, S. 1-23. DOI:10.1093/ser/mwaf066

Abstract

"This study investigates the cost of job loss to household incomes, and the extent to which initial earnings losses are compensated through the labor market, within the household, and by the social security programs. Using survey and administrative data from Denmark, Finland, Germany, and the UK (1990–2018),we estimate short- and long-term effects of job loss with a dynamic difference-in-differences model. Job loss reduces household income by 17 per cent in the UK while only 5 to 6 percent in other countries during the first year. These losses gradually diminish and disappear over the long run. Across all countries, market (i.e. re-employment) is the main source of compensation, while the role of household and state compensations varies in line with the national compensation strategies. State compensation is crucial in mitigating immediate income losses, while market compensation becomes even more important over time. Household compensation mainly substitutes for weaker market and state protections." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Berg, Gerard J. van den, Barbara Hofmann, Gesine Stephan & Arne Uhlendorff (2025): Mandatory integration agreements for unemployed job seekers: a randomized controlled field experiment in Germany. In: International Economic Review, Jg. 66, H. 1, S. 79-105., 2024-05-21. DOI:10.1111/iere.12745

Abstract

"Integration agreements (IAs) are contracts between the employment agency and the unemployed, nudging the latter to comply with rules on search behavior. We designed and implemented a randomized controlled trial involving thousands of newly unemployed workers, randomizing at the individual level both the timing of the IA and whether it is announced in advance. Administrative records provide outcomes. Novel theoretical and methodological insights provide tools to detect anticipation and suggest estimation by individual baseline employability. The positive effect on entering employment is driven by individuals with adverse prospects. For them, early IA increase reemployment within a year from 53% to 61%." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Wiley) ((en))

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Berg, Gerard J. van den, Gesine Stephan & Arne Uhlendorff (2025): Do Early Active Labor Market Policies Improve Outcomes of Not-Yet-Unemployed Workers? Findings from a Randomized Field Experiment. (IZA discussion paper / Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit 17612), Bonn, 42 S.

Abstract

"Inequality is a dynamic phenomenon, and the relative and absolute positions of individuals are subject to frequent shocks. It is important to know if preventive interventions mitigate adverse inequality effects of labor market shocks. We consider individuals up to three months before the envisaged termination of their employment and we study effects of pre-unemployment participation in active labor market programs (ALMP) on labor market outcomes using a randomized controlled trial (RCT). This complements the vast literature on ALMP for unemployed workers. Policies include signing an integration agreement (IA), preparing an action plan (AP) before the first meeting with a caseworker, and the combination of both. Results suggest that the IA - particularly when combined with the AP - increases the probability of employment around 4 months after registration as soon-to-be unemployed. This is driven by workers with a relatively high unemployment risk following registration. Thus, the policies contribute to reducing societal inequality." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bonoli, Giuliano, Patrick Emmenegger & Alina Felder-Stindt (2025): Re‐Skilling in the Age of Skill Shortage: Adult Education Rather Than Active Labor Market Policy. In: Regulation and governance, S. 1-13. DOI:10.1111/rego.70065

Abstract

"European economies face the task of providing the necessary skills for the “twin transition ” in a period of skill shortage. As a result, we may expect countries to reorient their labor market policy towards re-skilling. We look for evidence of a reorientation in two relevant policy fields: active labor market policy (ALMP) and adult education (AE). We explore general trends in both fields based on quantitative indicators and compare recent policy developments in four countries with strong ALMP and AE sectors: Denmark, France, Germany, and Sweden. We do not observe clear evidence of a general movement away from activation and towards re-skilling in ALMP. However, in AE, we identify several re-skilling initiatives that address skill shortages. Relying on insights from queuing theories of hiring and training, we argue that due to changes in the population targeted by ALMP, the locus of re-skilling policy is increasingly moving towards AE." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Brébion, Clément, Simon Briole & Laura Khoury (2025): Unemployment Insurance Eligibility and Employment Duration. (IZA discussion paper / Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit 18014), Bonn, 66 S.

Abstract

"While extensive research on unemployment insurance (UI) has examined how benefits affect workers' job search, little is known about how eligibility conditions shape firms' hiring decisions. These conditions, often requiring a minimum work history, affect the value workers place on contracts meeting the eligibility threshold. Exploiting a French reform that modified these requirements after 2009, we show that firms internalize workers' preferences and adjust contract durations to align with the new threshold. This reveals an overlooked ex-ante mechanism, where firms respond to UI incentives when posting vacancies—before meeting workers—rather than only through ex post adjustments. This response shifts contract duration distributions, also affecting workers already eligible for UI. Our findings have two implications: first, UI shapes firms' behavior at the vacancy stage, influencing job creation decisions ex ante, not just separation decisions ex post; second, UI eligibility conditions generate significant spillover effects." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Castell, Laura, Marc Gurgand, Clément Imbert & Todor Tochev (2025): Take-up of Social Benefits: Experimental Evidence from France. (CEPR discussion paper / Centre for Economic Policy Research 20615), London, 72 S.

Abstract

"We report on two nationwide experiments with job seekers in France. We first show that a meeting with social services to assess eligibility and help with application to social benefits increased new benefit take-up by 29%. By contrast, an online simulator that gave personalized information on benefit eligibility did not increase take-up. Marginal treatment effects show that individuals who benefit the most from the meetings are the least likely to attend. Overall, without ruling out information frictions, our results suggest that transaction costs represent the main obstacle to applying for benefits or accessing government’s assistance to help apply." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Chao, Ying, Benjamin Griffy & David Wiczer (2025): The Effect of Unemployment Insurance Eligibility in Equilibrium. (Working papers / Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta 2025-6), Atlanta, Ga., 41 S. DOI:10.29338/wp2025-06

Abstract

"In the United States, workers whose past earnings were below a threshold are generally ineligible for unemployment insurance (UI), creating a discontinuous jump in the value of being unemployed. Using a regression discontinuity design with administrative panel data, we estimate a sizable local effect from UI eligibility on earnings in the next employer, around 10 percent per quarter. This evidence, however, understates UI's causal effect because of endogenous non-compliance. It also does not distinguish between underlying reasons for higher re-employment earnings, a higher share of production, or more productive matches. These are addressed through a quantitative model. The underlying causal effect is 50 percent higher than the empirical estimates, and nearly all of the effect comes from workers getting a larger share." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Cheung, Maria, Johan Egebark, Anders Forslund, Lisa Laun, Magnus Rödin & Johan Vikström (2025): Does Job Search Assistance Reduce Unemployment? Evidence on Displacement Effects and Mechanisms. In: Journal of labor economics, Jg. 43, H. 1, S. 47-81. DOI:10.1086/726384

Abstract

"Using a two-level randomized experiment we find that job search assistance (JSA) reduces unemployment among the treated, but also creates displacement effects. Analyses of mechanisms show that vacancy referrals from caseworkers to job seekers explain the positive effects for the treated by helping the job seekers apply to the most relevant jobs earlier. We also find that the overall assessment of JSA hinges on how the displacement effects hit the labor market and to what extent firms react by opening new vacancies. The displacement is larger in weak labor markets and wefind no displacement of resources." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Dahl, Espen, Kjetil A. van der Wel, Åsmund Hermansen & Magne Bråthen (2025): Work Hazards and Social Class among ‘successful’ ALMP-Participants in Norway. In: Journal of Comparative Social Work, Jg. 19, H. 2, S. 89-119. DOI:10.31265/jcsw.v19i2.664

Abstract

"Background and research question. Studies of the outcomes of participation in Active Labor Market Programs (ALMP) focus primarily on employment status or earnings. Few studies address the social class and work environment that “successful ” ALMP-participants transit to. Little is also known about whether participation in different types of ALMPs leads to different social classes and work environments. This is unfortunate since many ALMP participants have health challenges and reduced work ability and thus are particularly susceptible to poor working conditions. Data and methods: Using Norwegian register data, we examined social class and exposure to hazardous working conditions, measured by a Mechanical Job Exposure Matrix and a Psychosocial Job Exposure Matrix, that characterized the jobs of “successful” ALMP participants, compared with the general work force. Results: We found that both mechanical and psychosocial job exposures in male ALMP-participants were higher than those of the general work force. For female participants, mechanical exposures were higher than the average level in the general work force, while psychosocial exposures were lower. Further, job exposures differed by ALMP type, but after adjustment for age, education and social class, only negligible differences in job exposures between ALMP types remained. Social class contributed to variation in both mechanical and psychosocial job exposures, most for mechanical exposures among male participants, and least for psychosocial exposures among female participants. Conclusion: Compared with the general working population, former ALMP participants, regardless of what type of programs they participated in, entered lower social classes and tended to face more hazardous work environment." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Dejemeppe, Muriel, Matthieu Delpierre & Mathilde Pourtois (2025): Hiring Subsidies for Low-Educated Unemployed Youths are Ineffective in a Tight Labor Market. In: The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis and Policy, Jg. 25, H. 4, S. 959-997. DOI:10.1515/bejeap-2024-0241

Abstract

"We evaluate the impact of hiring subsidies for unemployed jobseekers in Wallonia, the French-speaking region in Belgium, focusing on low-educated youths who gain earlier access to subsidies. Using a regression discontinuity design, we find that prioritizing subsidies for them leads to deadweight losses during the pre-pandemic economic boom. Positive job-finding effects are observed for high school graduates in areas with lower labor market tightness, supporting the hypothesis that this factor drives inefficiency. For high school dropouts, no effects are detected. This may reflect loose targeting – such as lack of a minimum unemployment duration – but other group differences could also play a role." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © De Gruyter) ((en))

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Eppel, Rainer, Ulrike Huemer, Helmut Mahringer & Lukas Schmoigl (2025): Statistical Profiling as a Targeting Tool: Can It Enhance the Efficiency of Active Labor Market Policies? (WIFO working papers 694), Wien, 33 S.

Abstract

"Digitization has spurred interest in the potential of statistical profiling to improve the targeting of active labor market policies. Despite growing adoption, empirical evidence on the effectiveness of such profiling in program allocation is scarce. We evaluate a semi-automated statistical profiling model in Austria that aims to target policies based on predicted reemployment prospects (low, medium, high). Our analysis shows that a reallocation of resources from low-chance to medium-chance segments, as envisaged by the Public Employment Service, would not yield the desired efficiency gains. Employment programs have a stronger impact on jobseekers with low job prospects than on those with medium prospects, and training programs are not consistently less effective in the low-chance segment either. Our findings suggest that the focus should remain on the most disadvantaged, both from an efficiency and an equity perspective. They caution against relying on overly coarse profiling and stress the need for nuanced targeting strategies." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Frøyland, Kjetil, Helen Bull, Lisebet Skeie Skarpaas, Gerd Berget, Øystein Spjelkavik & June Ullevoldsæter Lystad (2025): Work inclusion of marginalized groups in a troubled city district - How can active labor market policies improve? In: Social Policy and Administration, Jg. 59, H. 3, S. 588-601. DOI:10.1111/spol.13058

Abstract

"Active labor market policies (ALMP) have faced challenges in integrating marginalised groups into the workforce. This study explores perceptions among managers and frontline workers on enhancing work inclusion for neurodiverse citizens, marginalized youth, and individuals suffering from mental health or substance use disorders in a troubled city district. An examination of dialogue conferences and group interviews uncovers problems with current practises, attitudes, and service organisation. The proposed local solutions primarily include improved coordination of support and services, as well as enhanced competence within these services. Our results indicate that co-creation at the system, organization, and individual levels, coupled with expanded knowledge translation, can mobilise local actors to create new or adopt existing knowledge-based strategies. Therefore, local co-creation presents a potential for developing local inclusion strategies." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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Gervais, Martin, Roozbeh Hosseini & Lawrence Warren (2025): Unemployment Insurance, Wage Pass-Through, and Endogenous Take-Up. (Working papers / U.S. Census Bureau, Center for Economic Studies 2025-59), Washington, DC, 81 S.

Abstract

"This paper studies how unemployment insurance (UI) generosity affects reservation wages, re-employment wages, and benefit take-up. Using Benefit Accuracy Measurement (BAM) data, we estimate a cross-sectional elasticity of reservation wages with respect to weekly UI benefits of 0.014. Exploiting state variation in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) intensity and the timing of federal supplements, we find that expanded benefits during COVID-19 increased reservation wages by 8–12 percent. Using CPS rotation data, we also document a 9 percent rise in re-employment wages for UI-eligible workers relative to ineligible workers. Over the same period, the UI take-up rate rose from roughly 30 to 40 percent; Probit estimates indicate that higher benefit levels, rather than changes in observables, account for this increase. A directed search model with an endogenous filing decision replicates these facts: generosity primarily operates through the extensive margin of take-up, which mutes the pass-through from benefits to wages." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Griffy, Benjamin, Adrian Masters & Kai You (2025): Unemployment insurance and job polarization. In: Labour Economics, Jg. 93. DOI:10.1016/j.labeco.2025.102690

Abstract

"This paper considers how the structure of the UI system interacts with the observed profile of separations to generate “job-polarization” – wage and separation rate persistence. We extend a standard on-the-job labor search model to include an initial period of high separation rates until the job stochastically becomes more stable. Meanwhile a worker’s UI entitlement varies in generosity (based on their former wage) and duration (based on their employment history). The separation structure means that some workers have extended periods of frequent job loss. The UI system amplifies these effects because workers with low benefit eligibility apply for low wage jobs. Their subsequent applications then leave them more highly susceptible to future job loss. Our calibration suggests that this effect accounts for around 1% lower lifetime average wages." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 Elsevier B.V. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.) ((en))

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Hartosch, Katja, Linda Heuer, Julia Lang & Angela Ulrich (2025): "Stakeholder-Perspektiven auf die Berufsberatung im Erwerbsleben (BBiE). Ergebnisse einer qualitativen Studie". (IAB-Forschungsbericht 22/2025), Nürnberg, 49 S. DOI:10.48720/IAB.FB.2522

Abstract

"Die im Folgenden vorgestellten Ergebnisse basieren auf einer qualitativen Studie zu der Frage, wie die Berufsberatung im Erwerbsleben (BBiE) der Bundesagentur für Arbeit (BA) in die Weiterbildungs(beratungs)landschaft in Deutschland eingebettet ist. Sie beleuchtet die Wahrnehmung der neuen Dienstleistung durch die BBiE-Berater*innen selbst sowie die Fremdwahrnehmung durch externe Stakeholder und zeigt die Debatten auf, die ihre Einführung im organisationalen Feld begleiten. Die BBiE stellt ein zentrales Beratungsangebot der BA dar und richtet sich an Erwachsene, die bei der beruflichen (Um-)Orientierung Unterstützung suchen, vor allem an Beschäftigte und Wiedereinsteigende. Für die Studie wurden im Jahr 2024 fünf Gruppendiskussionen mit BBiE-Beratungsfachkräften und Einzelinterviews mit ihren Teamleitungen sowie 29 Interviews mit regionalen und überregionalen Netzwerkbeteiligten und Stakeholdern der BBiE, wie beispielsweise Kammern, Bildungsträgern, Volkshochschulen (VHS), Ministerien oder Arbeitgeberverbänden und Gewerkschaften geführt, außerdem neun Interviews mit Betrieben. Die Interviews wurden qualitativ inhaltsanalytisch ausgewertet. Sowohl die befragten Stakeholder der BBiE als auch die BBiE-Teams selbst sahen das Beratungsangebot überwiegend positiv. Viele BBiE-Berater*innen hoben die inhaltlichen und prozessualen Gestaltungsmöglichkeiten hervor. Die meisten der befragten Berater*innen können ihre beraterischen Kenntnisse nach eigener Einschätzung voll einbringen und gut auf die unterschiedlichen Anliegen der Kund*innen eingehen. Allerdings brachte die Vielfalt der Beratungsanliegen auch Herausforderungen mit sich, für die die Berater*innen individuelle Lösungen finden mussten. Mehrheitlich waren sie mit ihrer Arbeit sehr zufrieden. Viele konnten nach eigener Einschätzung einen bedeutsamen Beitrag für die Entwicklung der beratenen Personen leisten. Ein großer Teil der befragten Berater*innen monierte allerdings die geringe Einbindung der BBiE in die internen Strukturen der Agenturen. Obwohl sie Arbeitsvermittlung, Reha und vor allem den Arbeitgeber-Service häufig als wichtige Netzwerkbeteiligte aufführten, sehen sie viele Unklarheiten in der inhaltlichen und organisatorischen Zusammenarbeit. Die Arbeit innerhalb der BBiE-Teams funktionierte aus Sicht der Berater*innen hingegen gut. Die BBiE wurde durch externe Stakeholder, die Kontakt zu ihr hatten oder Erfahrungen in der Zusammenarbeit hatten, in aller Regel als sinnvoll bewertet. Netzwerkarbeit spielte für die Arbeit der befragten externen Personen eine wichtige Rolle, wobei teilweise gar keine Zusammenarbeit mit der BBiE stattfand und das lokale BBiE-Team nur in wenigen Fällen eine zentrale Netzwerkpartnerin war. In Bezug auf die Einführung der BBiE äußerten viele der befragten externen Stakeholder, dass ihnen eine Einbindung fehlte. Die BA wurde mitunter als „Platzhirsch“ wahrgenommen, der bestehende Strukturen ignorierte. Neben der BBiE gibt es ein regional unterschiedlich breites Spektrum von öffentlichen und privaten Beratungsangeboten. Zum Teil wurde von überregionalen Stakeholdern die Vermeidung von Doppelstrukturen gefordert. Demnach sollten sich die unterschiedlichen Angebote ergänzen, statt sich gegenseitig Konkurrenz zu machen. Einige externe Stakeholder betonten aber auch, dass Doppelstrukturen nicht zwingend dysfunktional sein müssten, sondern dass ein pluralistisches Angebot wichtig sein könne, um unterschiedliche Personengruppen mit unterschiedlichen Wünschen und Vorstellungen zu bedienen. Im Umgang mit Doppelstrukturen im lokalen Umfeld unterschieden sich die Beratungsfachkräfte: Viele Berater*innen legten großen Wert auf eine gute Vernetzung und forcierten die Zusammenarbeit mit anderen Stellen. Einige wenige Befragte nahmen BA-externe Beratungsakteure hingegen kaum wahr. Manche der lokalen und überörtlichen Stakeholder äußerten Bedauern darüber, dass es bislang zu keinen Kooperationsgesprächen mit den BBiE-Teams oder ihren Leitungskräften gekommen sei, trotz Bemühungen von ihrer Seite. Umgekehrt berichteten aber auch einige BBiE-Berater*innen von mangelndem Kooperationswillen andererBeratungsinstanzen. In den wenigen Fällen, in denen eine enge Zusammenarbeit mit der BBiE stattfand, wurde diese von den lokalen Stakeholdern als sehr gewinnbringend beschrieben. Zu den Zielgruppen der BBiE gab es bei vielen befragten Stakeholdern teilweise unterschiedliche Auffassungen, aber auch allgemeine Unklarheit bzw. Unwissen über die spezifischen Zielgruppen der BBiE. Positiv wurde von einigen Befragten hervorgehoben, dass die BBiE verschiedensten Personengruppen offensteht, also nicht nur eine spezifische Zielgruppe anspricht. Auch bezüglich des Beratungsverständnisses bestanden Unklarheiten bzw. Unterschiede in der Erwartungshaltung. So wurde die BA als Institution von einigen Personen mit der Erwartung verbunden, dass ihr Beratungsauftrag streng am Ziel einer stärkeren Partizipation am Arbeitsmarkt ausgerichtet sein müsse, was eine ergebnisoffene Beratung erschwere. Damit , so wurde ausgeführt, war gemeint, dass von diesen Personen erwartet wurde, dass die BA eher dahingehend berät, aktuell freie Stellen zu besetzen oder gezielt in Berufe mit Fachkräftemangel zu beraten. Ergebnisoffene Beratung mit einem Fokus auf langfristige persönliche Interessen und Entwicklunsgmöglichkeiten der Beratenen wurde hingegen nicht erwartet. Im Gegensatz zu der Annahme dieser Personen betrachteten andere Stakeholder das Angebot als notwendigerweise ergebnisoffen. In den Interviews mit externen Befragten war das Image der BA ein zentrales Thema. Häufig sprachen diese Vorurteile und schlechte Erfahrungen der eigenen Klientel mit der BA an, die dazu führten, dass der Kontakt zur BA gemieden würde. Teilweise äußerten externe Stakeholder Zweifel, ob die BA ein Angebot wie die BBiE überzeugend umsetzen könne. Positiv der BBiE gegenüber eingestellte Befragte betonten jedoch die Bedeutung von „Vorschussvertrauen“ und forderten, der Organisation Zeit zu geben. Überregional tätige Befragte lobten den innovativen Ansatz der BBiE und sahen darin Impulse für einen kulturellen Wandel in der BA. Der BA wurde immer wieder exklusives Wissen über aktuelle Entwicklungstendenzen am Arbeitsmarkt zugesprochen, was sie grundsätzlich für eine Beratungsleistung wie die BBiE qualifiziere. Es wurde aber von einigen Stakeholdern auch hinterfragt, welchen Mehrwert die BBiE zusätzlich zu bestehenden Angeboten biete. Auch die Beratungsfachkräfte und ihre Leitungen schrieben der BBiE positive Aspekte mit Blick auf das Image der BA zu. So berichteten einige BBiE-Berater*innen von Personen, die nach einem Beratungsgespräch das Feedback gaben, dass das dieses – nach zuvor weniger guten Erfahrungen mit der BA – ihre Erwartungen deutlich übertroffen hätte. Die BBiE könnte hier als „positives“ Gesicht der Organisation nach außen fungieren." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Hernæs, Øystein M. (2025): Performance pay for private program providers and impact on participants: A field experiment with employment services in Norway. In: Labour Economics, Jg. 95. DOI:10.1016/j.labeco.2025.102753

Abstract

"This study examines whether performance-based pay for private employment service providers improves employment outcomes for program participants compared to traditional hourly compensation. Finding effective ways to outsource public services to external providers has the potential to improve the quality and efficiency of these services. Using a large-scale randomized controlled trial (RCT) conducted in Norway from April 2018 to December 2021, we evaluate the impact of different payment models on the performance of private firms in delivering labor market programs. A total of 4898 unemployed individuals were randomly assigned to either a treatment group (37 %), where providers received performance-based pay contingent on participants’ employment outcomes, or a control group (63 %), whereproviders were compensated on an hourly basis. Despite the substantial financial incentives involved, our findings reveal no significant differences in employment rates, earnings, or hours worked between the two groups. The results allow us to rule out effects on monthly earnings of ± €5 and employment effects of ± 1 percentage points after 12 months. There were no indications of heterogeneous treatment effects across different participant groups. A cost-benefit analysis suggests a supportive case for performance pay due to lower public costs, although this estimate is subject to uncertainty." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 Elsevier B.V. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.) ((en))

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Heusler, Anna, Julia Lang, Christian Sprenger & Gesine Stephan (2025): Die Berufsberatung im Erwerbsleben. In: Denk-doch-Mal.de H. 2, S. 1-8.

Abstract

"Seit dem Jahr 2020 bietet die Bundesagentur für Arbeit (BA) bundesweit die Berufsberatung im Erwerbsleben (BBiE) an. Die zentrale Zielgruppe sind Erwerbstätige vor einer beruflichen Neu- bzw. Umorientierung, die dementsprechend auch die Mehrheit der Beratenen ausmachen. Dieser Beitrag erläutert zunächst die Ziele und Umsetzung der BBiE. Weiterhin beschreibt er, welche Beschäftigten aus welchen Betrieben im Jahr 2021 die Beratung genutzt haben. Hierzu werden die Beratenen mit einer repräsentativen Referenzgruppe von Beschäftigten verglichen, die die BBiE nicht in Anspruch genommen haben. Jüngere Menschen sowie Frauen haben überproportional häufig an einer Beratung teilgenommen. Beratene Beschäftigte verdienten im aktuellen Job weniger als die Referenzgruppe, und sie arbeiteten häufiger in Jobs mit einem geringeren Anforderungsniveau sowie in Teilzeit. Zudem hatten sie seltener einen Hochschulabschluss, aber häufiger eine abgeschlossene Ausbildung." (Textauszug, IAB-Doku)

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Hora, Ondrej & Miroslav Suchanec (2025): Comparing the Impacts of Czech ALMP Training Programmes Implemented During the 2020 COVID‐19 Pandemic to Programmes in 2016 and 2019. In: Social Policy and Administration, Jg. 59, H. 7, S. 1143-1157. DOI:10.1111/spol.13115

Abstract

"This article focuses on the impacts of training programs on leaving unemployment during the COVID-19 period. The main issue addressed is uncertainty about the effects of ALMP programs during the pandemic. We implemented the matched-pairs quasi-experimental design on administrative data from the 2016, 2019, and 2020 program implementation, counting 21,990 participants and controls. We found lower hazard rates of employment entry in absolute terms in the COVID-19 period than before, but training programs had greater positive impacts due to the economic cycle effect prevailing over implementation difficulties. The main conclusion is that the effects of training programs during the COVID pandemic were sound because the situation among the disadvantaged worsened proportionally; on average, it took them much longer to find work than in the previous periods." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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Humlum, Anders & Pernille Plato (2025): Reskilling and Resilience. (NBER working paper / National Bureau of Economic Research 34095), Cambridge, Mass, 42 S. DOI:10.3386/w34095

Abstract

"This paper shows that effective reskilling can have profound mental health benefits for workers and their partners. Using institutional variation in access to higher education after work accidents in Denmark, we find that reskilling prevents one case of depression for every three injured workers. Strikingly, the spillover effects on partners are just as large. These mental health gains are accompanied by higher partner employment and increased separation rates, suggesting that reskilling frees partners from costly relationship commitments. Together, the mental health and partner benefits add 83% to the direct labor earnings gains from reskilling." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Hurst, Erik, Patrick J. Kehoe, Elena Pastorino & Thomas Winberry (2025): The Macroeconomic Dynamics of Labor Market Policies. (NBER working paper / National Bureau of Economic Research 33614), Cambridge, Mass, 53 S. DOI:10.3386/w33614

Abstract

"We develop a dynamic macroeconomic framework with worker heterogeneity, putty-clay adjustment frictions, and firm monopsony power to study the distributional impact of labor market policies over time. Our framework reconciles the well-known tension between low short-run and high long-run elasticities of substitution across inputs of production, especially among workers with different skills within a same education group. We use this framework to evaluate the effects of redistributive policies such as the minimum wage and the Earned Income Tax Credit. We argue that since these policies generate slow transition dynamics that can differ greatly in the short and long run, a serious assessment of their overall impact must take account of the entire time path of the responses they induce." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Junquera, Álvaro F. & Christoph Kern (2025): From rules to forests: rule-based versus statistical models for jobseeker profiling. In: Journal for labour market research, Jg. 59. DOI:10.1186/s12651-025-00399-w

Abstract

"Public employment services (PES) commonly apply profiling models to target labor market programs to jobseekers at risk of becoming long-term unemployed. Such allocation systems often codify institutional experiences in a set of profiling rules, whose predictive ability, however, is seldomly tested. We systematically compare the predictive performance of a rule-based profiling procedure currently used by the PES in Catalonia, Spain, with the performance of statistical models in predicting future long-term unemployment (LTU) spells. Using comprehensive administrative data, we develop logit and machine learning models and evaluate their performance with respect to both model discrimination and calibration. Compared to the rule-based model used in Catalonia, our machine learning models achieve greater discrimination ability and remarkable improvements in calibration. Particularly, our random forest model is able to accurately forecast LTU spells and outperforms the rule-based model by offering robust predictions that perform well under stress tests. This paper presents the first performance comparison between a complex, currently implemented, rule-based approach and complex statistical profiling models. Our work illustrates the importance of assessing the calibration of profiling models and the potential of statistical tools to assist public employment services." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Keitel, Christiane & Martin Schludi; Linda Heuer & Julia Lang (interviewte Person) (2025): Die Berufsberatung im Erwerbsleben wird als sehr offen und kundenorientiert wahrgenommen (Interview). In: IAB-Forum H. 14.11.2025. DOI:10.48720/IAB.FOO.20251114.01

Abstract

"Wer sich mitten im Arbeitsleben neue Ziele steckt, bekommt seit 2020 Unterstützung von der Bundesagentur für Arbeit. Mit der Berufsberatung im Erwerbsleben (BBiE) betrat die BA in gewisser Weise Neuland. Welche Erfahrungen sammelte die BA bisher mit dem neuen Angebot? Und wie wird die Arbeit der Beratungsfachkräfte von den regionalen Akteuren in diesem Themenfeld wahrgenommen? Das IAB hat dazu in einer qualitativen Studie zahlreiche Einzelinterviews mit Beratungsfachkräften und weiteren Beteiligten geführt, die als IAB-Forschungsbericht 22/2025 erschienen ist. Zu den Ergebnissen stehen Julia Lang und Linda Heuer der Redaktion des IAB-Forum Rede und Antwort." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Kovács, Borbála, Jeremy Morris & Anne Sophie Grauslund (2025): Performative agency among street-level bureaucrats: its implications for citizen encounters with the welfare state. In: The international journal of sociology and social policy, Jg. 45, H. 5/6, S. 529-545. DOI:10.1108/ijssp-10-2024-0520

Abstract

"Purpose: The purpose of this study is to use ethnographic immersion in low-discretion bureaucratic contexts to explore how performative communication affects welfare bureaucracy outcomes in two European contexts. Design/methodology/approach Comparative ethnographic study of face-to-face welfare bureaucratic encounters between frontline workers and new parents claiming and/or receiving universal family entitlements in Denmark and Romania, using a most-different comparative design. Findings Irrespective of discretion, “successful” bureaucratic interactions are judged based on demeanour (performative agency). This judgement carries over to general dispositions towards the welfare state. Originality/value A performative taxonomy of welfare bureaucrats involved in the delivery of universal and contributory family services and benefits helps explain perceived outcomes of face-to-face frontline welfare encounters. The paper also argues for moving beyond logocentrism in ethnographic studies of street-level welfare work towards a more encompassing understanding of language." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Emerald Group) ((en))

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Lammers, Klara (2025): Access Through Peer Support: Implications of an Innovative Counselling Approach in German Jobcentres. In: Social Inclusion, Jg. 13. DOI:10.17645/si.10366

Abstract

"This research approaches the theoretical discourse on accessibility from an empirical perspective using a qualitative study in a specific field of social services. In Germany, jobcenters are institutions responsible for promoting employment, providing benefits, and offering counselling to unemployed people. Due to their hierarchical structures, standardized processes, and orientation towards the paradigms of an activating labor market policy, jobcenters can be described as organizations that are difficult to access for clients, especially for people with mental disorders. Based on a qualitative analysis, this article examines an innovative model project that implements a peer support approach in this context. Peer support volunteers have experienced mental disorders themselves and support users on this basis. The analysis comprises 38 individual interviews and seven group discussions with peer support volunteers and users, addressing the research question of how the introduction of peer support has changed the perception of accessibility within the jobcenter institution. The empirical results show that changes are taking place both at a structural level and concerning the relationships and organization of support. However, certain barriers within the organization remain and restrict accessibility. With reference to Clarke’s access theory, the majority of the identified changes can be understood as conservative active-outreach strategies aligned with the existing system and its normative orientations. Additionally, the involvement of the previously little-heard and potentially stigmatised perspective of people who have experienced mental disorders themselves reveals a transformative potential at certain points." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Leber, Ute (2025): Welche Betriebe nehmen die Weiterbildungsförderung der BA in Anspruch? In: Denk-doch-Mal.de H. 1, 2025-01-15.

Abstract

"Der beruflichen Weiterbildung kommt in der modernen Arbeitswelt eine hohe Bedeutung zu. Dies gilt für Beschäftigte, für die Weiterbildung ein wichtiges Mittel zur Sicherung ihrer Arbeitsmarktchancen ist, ebenso wie für Betriebe, die auf diesem Wege ihren Qualifikationsbedarf decken und ihre Wettbewerbsfähigkeit erhöhen können. Wie vorliegende Studien zeigen, ist die Weiterbildungsbeteiligung jedoch ungleich verteilt. So nehmen insbesondere Geringqualifizierte, aber auch Ältere sowie Beschäftigte in kleinen und mittleren Unternehmen nur vergleichsweise wenig an Weiterbildung teil (vgl. zum Beispiel Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung 2024). Fragt man nach den Gründen für die unterdurchschnittliche Weiterbildungsbeteiligung mancher Personengruppen, so deuten empirische Untersuchungen auf die Bedeutung einer Vielzahl an Faktoren hin. Neben mangelnden Informationen über die Bedeutung von Weiterbildung und Weiterbildungsangebote spielen dabei auch finanzielle und zeitliche Restriktionen eine Rolle. Mit der Weiterbildungsförderung für Beschäftigte der Bundesagentur für Arbeit (BA) steht ein Instrument zur Verfügung, das Betriebe beziehungsweise Beschäftigte bei einer Weiterbildungsteilnahme finanziell unterstützt. Zentrale Ansprechpartner für die Weiterbildungsförderung sind dabei die Betriebe; die Agenturen für Arbeit erstatten diesen die Kosten für Lehrgänge und leisten Zuschüsse zum Arbeitsentgelt der Beschäftigten. War die Weiterbildungsförderung bei ihrer Einführung im Jahr 2006 noch auf bestimmte Beschäftigtengruppen beziehungsweise Betriebe beschränkt, steht sie mittlerweile allen offen. Nach einem Ausbau der Fördermöglichkeiten in den Jahren 2019 und 2020 wurde die Weiterbildungsförderung zuletzt im Rahmen des Aus- und Weiterbildungsgesetzes im Jahr 2024 reformiert mit dem Ziel, die Transparenz der Förderung zu erhöhen und den Zugang zu Weiterbildungsangeboten zu erleichtern." (Textauszug, IAB-Doku)

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Leduc, Elisabeth & Ilan Tojerow (2025): Closing the Mismatch: Encouraging Jobseekers to Reskill for Shortage Occupations. (IZA discussion paper / Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit 17731), Bonn, 56 S.

Abstract

"We partner with a Public Employment Service to examine whether jobseekers can be encouraged to reskill for shortage occupations. In a large-scale field experiment involving 100,000 recently unemployed individuals, we provide information on shortage occupations and related training opportunities. The intervention increased participation in transversal training courses by 6%, but did not boost enrolment in occupational training for shortage jobs. Jobseekers also shifted their search towards high-demand occupations, yet employment remained unchanged. These findings suggest that while low-cost informational interventions can influence job search and training behaviour, different approaches are likely needed to drive substantial reskilling among jobseekers." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Lidolt, Gianni, Johannes Beller, Marieke Hansmann, Axel Kobelt-Pönicke & Christoph Kröger (2025): Die prädiktive Rolle von Selbstwirksamkeitserwartung für die Wiedereingliederung nach stationärer psychosomatischer Rehabilitation bei Erwerbstätigen mit psychischen Störungen. In: Die Rehabilitation, Jg. 64, H. 05, S. 291-297. DOI:10.1055/a-2654-4661

Abstract

"Die Wiedereingliederung in das Arbeitsleben ist eines der wichtigsten Ziele der psychosomatischen Rehabilitation. Internationale Studien zeigten, dass eine hohe Selbstwirksamkeitserwartung die Zeit bis zur Rückkehr zur Arbeit positiv beeinflussen kann. In dieser Studie wurde der Einfluss von Selbstwirksamkeitserwartung auf die Rückkehr zur Arbeit nach einer stationären psychosomatischen Rehabilitationseinrichtung für Erwerbstätige mit psychischen Störungen untersucht. In einer retrospektiven Längsschnittstudie wurden die Teilnehmenden (N=180) einer Rehabilitation zu ihrer arbeitsplatzbezogenen Selbstwirksamkeitserwartung, zur Depressivität, zur Dauer der Beschäftigung vor der Rehabilitation und zu anderen demografischen Variablen befragt. Die Versicherungsdaten wurden zur Berechnung der Zeit bis zur Rückkehr zur Arbeit nach 12 Monaten herangezogen. Mit Hilfe von Cox-Regressionsanalysen wurden relevante Prädiktoren ermittelt. Weiterführend wurden korrelative Zusammenhänge und Prä-Post-Analysen hinsichtlich der Selbstwirksamkeit und Depressivität durchgeführt. Eine höhere arbeitsplatzbezogenen Selbstwirksamkeitserwartung und eine längere Beschäftigungsdauer vor der Rehabilitation erhöhten die Chance auf eine schnellere Rückkehr zur Arbeit. Die Behandlung zeigte Veränderungen in der Depressivität (d=0,97) und der arbeitsplatzbezogenen Selbstwirksamkeitserwartung (d=|0,36|). Im Verlauf der psychosomatischen Rehabilitation könnte die arbeitsplatzbezogene Selbstwirksamkeitserwartung für den Prozess der Wiedereingliederung bei Beschäftigten mit psychischen Störungen ein relevanter Faktor sein." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Lundberg, Kjetil G., Suzan M. Skjold, Arnhild Melve & Astrid O. Sundsbø (2025): Iterations of work inclusion beyond the standard service. Personalized welfare services in the era of activation and innovation. In: Journal of Comparative Social Work, Jg. 19, H. 2, S. 63-88. DOI:10.31265/jcsw.v19i2.663

Abstract

"Employment services are repeatedly criticised for building barriers to service user participation and decent employment due to combinations of conditionality, bureaucratic logics, high caseloads and scarce resources. However, a range of newer service approaches recognise some of these shortcomings, and aim for personalization, service coordination, and/or increased connection to employers. In this article, we compare four programmes and their key worker roles, implemented in Norwegian postreform welfare and employment services (NAV) in the 2010s, as iterations of work inclusion beyond the standard follow-up service. These approaches are sensitive to gaps in the current service system, and they invest in the relationship between the professional worker and the service user, working both within and beyond social work approaches. Situated in the broader research literature on activation, personalisation and street-level organizations, we provide an analysis of how these approaches go beyond “business as usual” through strengthened key worker roles. We argue that the relational work approach adopted in these measures has the potential to foster the participation of service users, and to smoothen and sometimes tone down the conditional aspects of services, but that different organisational demands and accountability mechanisms produce a different space of action for key workers and users to shape the path towards labour and social inclusion." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Mabli, James, Leah Shiferaw, Gretchen Rowe, Peter Schochet & Kelley Monzella (2025): An Experimental Evaluation of the Impacts of SNAP Employment and Training Pilots on Service Receipt, Labor Market Outcomes, and SNAP Participation. In: Applied economic perspectives and policy. DOI:10.1002/aepp.70011

Abstract

"This article presents findings from a large, longitudinal randomized evaluation of the effectiveness of 10 SNAP Employment and Training (E&T) pilots that offered new and innovative strategies to increase the earnings and employment of SNAP participants. All the pilots increased the take-up of employment and training-related activities and nearly all increased receipt of case management and support services. The pilots increased annual earnings in three states by $800 to $2,000 and increased the rate of employment by 4 to 6percentage points. Findings can help policymakers identify new promising strategies for expanding opportunities and reducing barriers to work." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Murtada, Dima & Claire Hutchinson (2025): Social Return on Investment Analysis: A case study of a job and skills training program administered by the French Labor Ministry. In: Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, Jg. 63, H. 2, S. 207-224. DOI:10.1177/10522263251357443

Abstract

"Background: The program “Réalise Tes Rêves” (Make your dreams come true; RtR) was a program of action research aimed at trialing new approaches to address the job seeking needs of people not in employment, education or training (NEETs), and unemployed women in disadvantaged neighborhoods. Objective: This study examines the use of social return on investment (SROI), a social valuation methodology, to examine and capture the broad socio-economic value of the employment program RtR. Methods: Qualitative data was collected from 54 program participants and 21 program staff. The analysis was also informed by program data such as program components engaged in by participants, retention and exit outcomes. Results: Positive outcomes were identified for the program participants, program staff, and the community. The most important direct outcomes were the increase in personal assets, enhanced career prospects, and health improvements. The SROI ratio was €16.62 for every €1 invested. Conclusions: This study illustrates the program's tangible and intangible program outcomes by applying SROI methodology and demonstrates the social impact of supporting employment and self-employment for disadvantaged job seekers." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Nielsen, Søren Albeck & Michael Rosholm (2025): Knockin’ on Employment’s Door: The Power of Caseworker Beliefs on Job and Health Outcomes for the Long-Term Unemployed. (IZA discussion paper / Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit 17970), Bonn, 52 S.

Abstract

"This study examines the impact of caseworker beliefs on employment and health outcomes among long-term unemployed social assistance recipients in Denmark. Exploiting as-if random caseworker assignment, an instrumental variables approach, and a novel measure of “Caseworker Job Orientation”, we estimate the effects of caseworkers’ job beliefs regarding their clients. Results indicate that clients assigned to caseworkers with stronger innate job beliefs experience substantial improvements in employment rates, earnings, and educational enrollment. Additionally, positive effects on health are observed, particularly among clients with pre-existing health conditions. These findings underscore the role of caseworker attitudes in shaping client trajectories, offering policy insights into enhancing labor market re-entry strategies." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Parolin, Zachary & Clemente Pignatti (2025): Employment and Consumption Responses to the Withdrawal of Unemployment Benefits. In: ILR review, Jg. 78, H. 3, S. 543-570. DOI:10.1177/00197939251322173

Abstract

"The authors study the responses to the withdrawal of two generous unemployment benefit (UB) schemes introduced in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic, exploiting variations across states in the timing of the policy change. Using data from the Current Population Survey, they find that the expiration of UBs increased unemployment-to-employment transitions. However, approximately half of this effect was driven by job recalls. Evidence also shows that unemployed individuals transitioned into lower quality jobs, compared to their previous occupations, and that young job seekers not eligible for UBs were displaced by increased job-search competition. Using both survey and transaction data, the authors also provide complementary evidence on the consumption effects of the policy change. They document a small reduction in consumption after the withdrawal of pandemic UBs for some non-necessary spending categories." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Parsland, Ellen & Gabriella Scaramuzzino (2025): "I feel good here". A qualitative study on subsidised employment in a Swedish municipal labour market programme. In: Journal of Comparative Social Work, Jg. 19, H. 2, S. 38-62. DOI:10.31265/jcsw.v19i2.657

Abstract

"The aim of this article is to understand how a group of subsidized employees constructed a collective identity and symbolic community, and the role the municipal labor market programme played in that process. Further, it explores whether and how a shared collective identity and symbolic community may provide an explanation for how the ‘successful intervention/lock-in effect paradox’ occurs when using subsidized employment as an activation intervention. The article is based on a qualitative interview study with eight social workers and 11 subsidized employees from a Swedish municipal labour market program that offered subsidised employment as its main intervention. The interviews were analysed using the concepts of social identity and symbolic community. The article shows that subsidized employment plays a crucial role in subsidised employees constructing their identity as ‘persons with a job’, as distinct from the activation interventions usually associated with social assistance. The labor market programme serves as a transformative space where receiving a salary becomes a symbol of distinction, marking a significant departure from past experiences of receiving social assistance. The article also highlights the role of social workers in subsidised employees’ identity processes. The social workers perceived the subsidised employees as participants with special needs, and subsidiszd employment as an intervention which could influence the planning and support provided during the subsidized employment. The collective identity developed by the participants fostered a sense of community, but also led to reluctance to leave the program, driven by the fear of reverting to social assistance, and once again being excluded from the labor market. The article concludes that the subsidized employees risked getting stuck in a borderland between work exclusion and work inclusion and, therefore, that subsidised employment can potentially place participants in a state of ‘marginalised inclusion’ in the labor market, instead of supporting participants into regular employment." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Pieterson, Willem (2025): Opportunities of AI within PES processes and services. PES Network Report exploring PES experiences, best practices and emerging business value. Luxemburg: Publications Office of the European Union, 67 S. DOI:10.2767/84293

Abstract

"Artificial intelligence (AI), as a branch of advanced data analytics, is a rapidly evolving field. The release of Chat Generative Pretrained Transformer (ChatGPT) in 2022 and the many tools and applications using Generative AI (GenAI) highlight new possibilities. Many governments and public sector agencies are interested in how AI can transform their processes and client services – Public Employment Services (PES) are no exception. An Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) study in 2022 suggests that most PES are now showing concrete interest in adopting AI: nearly 40% of PES are looking into AI tools or tools using other types of advanced analytics (AA) to support jobseeker profiling, while more than 40% see the potential of AI for job matching or career services, such as identifying skill gaps. (…) This report compiles a more complete overview of existing and planned AI practices across European PES. It analyses their outcomes, the challenges PES face, and the context in which these developments take place." (Text excerpt, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Ronshaugen, Marie, Siv Fladsrud Magnussen & Mette Sonderskov (2025): Unveiling how power manifests in street-level interactions: implications for value co-creation. In: Public Management Review, S. 1-27. DOI:10.1080/14719037.2025.2536155

Abstract

"This article explores how power manifests in interactions between street-level bureaucrats (SLBs) in Norway’s Labour and Welfare Administration (Nav) and young adults invulnerable situations. Using French and Raven’s analytical framework of the six power bases, we analyse how these bases impact value co-creation. Our findings reveal that power can both enable and hinder co-creation, depending on how SLBs exercise discretion. While coercive and legitimate power may obstruct value creation, informational power can facilitate it. We argue that recognizing and addressing how power manifests in street-level interactions is crucial for fostering meaningful value co-creation in the public sector." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Schaufelberger, Daniel (2025): Supported Employment. Arbeitsintegration für Personen mit erschwertem Zugang zum Arbeitsmarkt. Freiburg im Breisgau: Lambertus-Verlag, 149 S. DOI:10.5281/zenodo.10259182

Abstract

"Bei Supported Employment werden Personen mit Benachteiligungen dabei unterstützt, dauerhaft eine bezahlte Arbeit auf dem allgemeinen Arbeitsmarkt zu finden. Es gilt als besonders wirksamer Ansatz der Arbeitsintegration. Die aktualisierte Auflage gibt einen Überblick zu Supported Employment und zeigt, was die Umsetzung - unter Berücksichtigung der Rahmenbedingungen in der Schweiz - bedeutet. Job Coaches, Fach- und Führungskräfte sowie Verwaltungsverantwortliche im Bereich Arbeitsmarktintegration sowie Studierende der Sozialen Arbeit erhalten damit eine kompakte und praxisnahe Orientierung zum Konzept und zur Umsetzung von Supported Employment und Supported Education." (Verlagsangaben, IAB-Doku)

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Schneider, Stephanie, Maria Theiss, Wojciech Gędek & Ulrike Zschache (2025): Citizen among Institutions. Fragmentation and Trust in Social Assistance. In: Social Policy and Society, Jg. 24, H. 4, S. 684-700. DOI:10.1017/s147474642510078x

Abstract

"Citizen trust in public institutions has become a major concern for policy makers, but how institutional design affects institutional trust is not entirely clear. Existing research has mainly focused on the macro-level of welfare regimes or on the micro-level of citizens’ or frontline workers’ attributes. Our knowledge about interrelations between organisational aspects of welfare delivery and (dis)trust-formation at the meso-level of institutional design remains scarce. In the article, we investigate how users experience institutional fragmentation and how this impacts their trust in the welfare system. Based on forty-three interviews with social assistance users in Germany and Poland, we demonstrate that fragmentation is indeed relevant as an experiential context for (dis)trust-formation. However, we found that low institutional fragmentation is not, per se, trust-promoting and that higher fragmentation can be a driver for developing trust in individual caseworkers. Citizens’ perceptions of procedural justice and experienced administrative burdens are discussed as possible mediators." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Whitacre, Denise (2025): A program evaluation of the new choices workforce development program: An appreciative inquiry approach. In: Evaluation and program planning, Jg. 108. DOI:10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2024.102507

Abstract

"A significant amount of money ($1.76B annually in the United States) is spent on workforce development programs, while there is limited research on the effectiveness of workforce development programs in meeting their program objectives and assisting program participants in attaining employment. This study evaluated the New Choices Program, a workforce development program offered by PA Women Work, to help its clients obtain employment and overcome personal and professional barriers. The program has historically been offered in a 30-hour in person format but was forced to be modified to a 10-hour virtual program when the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions began. This program evaluation included a comparative analysis of the perceptions of participants in the 30-hour in person program and the 10-hour virtual program. It was found that participants in both the 30-hour in person program and 10-hour virtual program perceived the program positively, experienced an increase in self-confidence and belonging, which led to either obtaining employment or being better prepared for the job search process. The data will help inform the New Choices program stakeholders on programmatic improvements and how best to structure the program in the post-pandemic employment world." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.) ((en))

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Wood, Jonas, Karel Neels & Sunčica Vujić (2025): Which training leads to employment? The effectiveness of varying types of training programmes for unemployed jobseekers in Flanders. In: Journal of Social Policy, Jg. 54, H. 2, S. 651-672. DOI:10.1017/S0047279423000648

Abstract

"Despite the large body of ALMP evaluations focussing on isolated training programmes for unemployed jobseekers, our understanding of potential reasons for (in)effectiveness remains limited. Specific training programs aim to remediate particular supply- or demand-side barriers to employment experienced by targeted jobseekers. Consequently, this study unpacks training into four different types: (I) general classroom training (GCT) to enhance motivation and job search skills, (II) occupation-specific classroom training (OCT) addressing gaps in human capital, (III) non-contractual workplace training (NCWT) combining human capital acquisition with workplace experience, and (IV) contractual workplace training (CWT) additionally including a temporary wage subsidy to reduce hiring costs for employers. Using large-scale longitudinal register data, dynamic propensity score matching, and hazard models indicate positive effects of OCT participation, and particularly NCWT programs allowing human and social capital accumulation in a workplace setting, on the transition into (stable) regular employment. In contrast, the non-effects for GCT participants highlight the need for more follow-up programs, and the fact that, after controlling for the selective recruitment by employers of unemployed jobseekers with relatively strong profiles, CWT programme participants show moderate, short-lived positive effects which might inspire policymakers to reconsider program assignment in light of cream-skimming by employers." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Zanella, Giulio & Riccardo Salomone (2025): Incentive-based active labor market programs: Insights from policy experimentation in Italy. In: Labour Economics, Jg. 93. DOI:10.1016/j.labeco.2025.102687

Abstract

"Two programs providing financial incentives for reemployment of workers at risk of long-term unemployment are evaluated vis-à-vis intensive job-search assistance through policy experimentation involving about 10,000 job seekers in Italy: (i) a reemployment voucher that incentivizes specialized providers; (ii) a reemployment bonus that incentivizes job seekers directly. Results indicate that: the voucher is effective for men while the bonus works for women; each policy is no less effective than job-search assistance, but only the voucher is clearly cost effective; there are no side effects on post-treatment earnings or job duration. A one-sided job search model with endogenous search effort rationalizes these empirical findings." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.) ((en))

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Ziegler, Lennart (2025): How Do Caseworkers Affect Job Search Outcomes? (IZA discussion paper / Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit 18094), Bonn, 29 S.

Abstract

"This paper examines how caseworkers influence job finding rates and job quality. To rule out selection effects, I exploit that caseworkers are assigned based on the jobseekers' month of birth in some offices of the Austrian public employment service. Combining administrative data on caseworkers and jobseekers, I compute value-added measures for multiple jobseeker outcomes. A one-standard-deviation increase in caseworker performance corresponds to six additional days of employment in the first year and two percent higher earnings. For older workers and workers of foreign nationality, I observe the largest differences in caseworker performance. Employment and earnings effects are positively correlated, suggesting that faster job finding does not come at the expense of job quality. Analyzing differences in caseworker strategies, I find that caseworkers who refer more vacancies to jobseekers achieve higher employment rates, and those who refer better-paying jobs also achieve higher earnings. In contrast, frequent use of training programs or benefit sanctions is associated with worse job search outcomes." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Östling, Maja (2025): Deemed as ‘Distant’: Categorizing Unemployment in Sweden’s Evolving Welfare Landscape. In: Social Sciences, Jg. 14, H. 3. DOI:10.3390/socsci14030129

Abstract

"Over the past 30 years, Swedish labor market politics has swayed towards stronger workfare tendencies, emphasizing activation requirements for unemployed individuals to access welfare benefits. This process aligns with broader neoliberal reforms, fostering an individualistic view of unemployment characterized by personal responsibility for employability. In 2023, the Swedish Public Employment Service (PES) published a report addressing the needs of and solutions for long-term unemployed individuals ‘distant from the labor market’ (Sw. personer långt från arbetsmarknaden), marking the first formal use of this term as the main adhesive category in a political document. This paper examines the construction of the subject position ‘distant from the labor market’, investigating how it delineates and differentiates subgroups within the unemployed population, how this subgroup is understood in relation to other actors, and how discursive frameworks imbue this category with various meanings. Lastly, the paper discusses the categorization in relation to the current developments in the Swedish welfare system, arguing that the formalization of this category should be understood in relation to parallel political processes, such as proposals for a duty of activity for the unemployed, suggesting how this points to a way forward defined by neoliberal tendencies and welfare conditionality." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Albanese, Andrea, Bart Cockx & Muriel Dejemeppe (2024): Long-term effects of hiring subsidies for low-educated unemployed youths. In: Journal of Public Economics, Jg. 235. DOI:10.1016/j.jpubeco.2024.105137

Abstract

"We use regression discontinuity design and difference-in-differences methods to estimate the impact of a onetime hiring subsidy for low-educated unemployed youths in Belgium during the recovery from the Great Recession. Within a year of unemployment, the subsidy increases job-finding in the private sector by 10 percentage points. Over six years, high school graduates secure 2.8 more quarters of private employment. However, they transition from public jobs and self-employment, resulting in no net increase in overall employment, albeit with better wages. High school dropouts experience no lasting benefits. Additionally, in tight labor markets near Luxembourg’s employment hub, the subsidy results in a complete deadweight loss." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2024 Elsevier) ((en))

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Andersen, Kate (2024): Social Security, Gender and Class: The impacts of the Universal Credit Conditionality Regime on Unpaid Care and Paid Work. In: Social Policy and Society, S. 1-16. DOI:10.1017/S1474746424000071

Abstract

"The introduction of Universal Credit, a new means-tested benefit for working-aged people in the UK, entails a significant expansion of welfare conditionality. Due to mothers’ disproportionate responsibility for unpaid care, women are particularly affected by the new conditionality regime for parents who have the primary responsibility for the care of dependent children. This article draws upon qualitative longitudinal research with twenty-four mothers subject to the new conditionality regime to analyze the gendered impacts of this new policy and whether there is variation in experiences according to social class. The analysis demonstrates that the new conditionality regime devalues unpaid care and is of limited efficacy in improving sustained moves into paid work. It also shows that the negative gendered impacts of the conditionality within Universal Credit are at times exacerbated for working-class mothers." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Andersson, Fredrik, Harry J. Holzer, Julia I. Lane, David Rosenblum & Jeffrey Smith (2024): Does Federally Funded Job Training Work? Nonexperimental Estimates of WIA Training Impacts Using Longitudinal Data on Workers and Firms. In: The Journal of Human Resources, Jg. 59, H. 4, S. 1244-1283. DOI:10.3368/jhr.0816-8185r1

Abstract

"We study the effect of U.S. Workforce Investment Act (WIA) training in two states using matched employer–employee data. This allows us to estimate the impact of training on firm characteristics and to assess the value of firm characteristics measured prior to training as conditioning variables. We find moderate positive impacts of training on employment and earnings for adults, but not for dislocated workers. We find limited evidence of positive effects on firm characteristics for adults in one state, but clear evidence of effects on industry of employment for most groups. Firm characteristics add little value as conditioning variables." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System) ((en))

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Anger, Silke, Sarah Bernhard, Simon Janssen, Ute Leber, Adrian Lerche, Michael Oberfichtner, Nancy Reims, Malte Sandner, Brigitte Schels, Monika Senghaas, Gesine Stephan, Carina Toussaint & Stefan Tübbicke (2024): Zum Entwurf des SGB-III-Modernisierungsgesetzes. Stellungnahme des IAB zum Referentenentwurf eines Gesetzes zur Modernisierung der Arbeitslosenversicherung und Arbeitsförderung am 24.7.2024. (IAB-Stellungnahme 01/2024), Nürnberg, 19 S. DOI:10.48720/IAB.SN.2401

Abstract

"Mit dem SGB-III-Modernisierungsgesetz sollen die Arbeitslosenversicherung und die Arbeitsförderung bürgerfreundlicher, transparenter, effizienter und unbürokratischer gestaltet werden. Das IAB nimmt Stellung zu folgenden Aspekten des Referentenentwurfs dieses Gesetzes: Kooperationsplan zur Eingliederung im SGB III, Reform des Gründungszuschusses, rechtskreisübergreifende Kooperationen/Jugendberufsagenturen, Beratung für junge Menschen, Berufsorientierungspraktikum und außerbetriebliche Ausbildung." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Anger, Silke, Franziska Berger, Sarah Bernhard, Kerstin Bruckmeier, Maye Ehab, Mariella Falkenhain, Stefan Feldens, Bernd Fitzenberger, Philipp Fuchs, Claudia Globisch, Andreas Hauptmann, Elke Jahn, Philipp Jaschke, Kamal Kassam, Yuliya Kosyakova, Peter Kupka, Simon Janssen, Ute Leber, Adrian Lerche, Michael Oberfichtner, Nancy Reims, Stefan Röhrer, Malte Sandner, Brigitte Schels, Monika Senghaas, Joachim Wolff, Jürgen Wiemers, Enzo Weber, Stefan Tübbicke, Carina Toussaint, Gesine Stephan & Maximilian Sommer (2024): Zum Entwurf eines Gesetzes zur Modernisierung der Arbeitslosenversicherung und Arbeitsförderung – SGB-III-Modernisierungsgesetz. Stellungnahme des IAB zur öffentlichen Anhörung im Ausschuss für Arbeit und Soziales des Deutschen Bundestags am 4.11.2024. (IAB-Stellungnahme 06/2024), Nürnberg, 40 S. DOI:10.48720/IAB.SN.2406

Abstract

"Die Bundesregierung hat einen umfangreichen Entwurf eines Gesetzes zur Modernisierung der Arbeitslosenversicherung und Arbeitsförderung (SGB-III-Modernisierungsgesetz) vorgelegt, der am 4.11.2024 im Ausschuss für Arbeit und Soziales des Deutschen Bundestags in einer öffentlichen Anhörung zum SGB-III-Modernisierungsgesetz behandelt wurde. Darin geht es um die Weiterentwicklung des Vermittlungsprozesses, Vereinfachungen und Entlastungen im Versicherungs-und Leistungsrecht, die Anpassung von Förderinstrumenten und den Ausbau der Förderinstrumente der Bundesagentur für Arbeit. Unter Bezugnahme auf vorhandene Forschungsergebnisse nimmt das IAB Stellung zu den geplanten Änderungen von SGB III und SGB II." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Baekgaard, Martin, Søren Albeck Nielsen, Michael Rosholm & Michael Svarer (2024): Long-term employment and health effects of active labor market programs. In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Jg. 121, H. 50. DOI:10.1073/pnas.2411439121

Abstract

"Active labor market programs (ALMPs) are widely used to speed up return to work among the unemployed. We examine their long-run effects on employment- and health-related outcomes for different target groups, arguing that ALMPs are associated with heterogeneous effects for different target groups and may even detrimentally influence the mental health for the most disadvantaged groups. To this end, we use evidence from randomized controlled trials conducted in Denmark in 2005–2008, in which treatment groups were exposed to intensified active labor market policies in the form of more frequent compulsory meetings with case workers and/or early activation and estimate effects over a period of 10 y. In line with expectations, we find that while ALMPs have the potential to increase labor market participation among resourceful clients even 10 after the original intervention, they have long-run negative effects on the mental health for the most disadvantaged groups among the unemployed. The negative effects are entirely driven by clients who already prior to the trial had mental health issues. These findings suggest that the effects of ALMPs are lasting, but at the same time greatly depend on how they fit with the resources of clients." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Behrens, Markus & Johannes Pfeiffer (2024): Lebensbegleitende Berufsberatung - auf dem Weg zur künftigen Arbeitsagentur. In: J. Bullerjahn, T. Kralinski & M. Platzeck (Hrsg.) (2024): Deutschland und sein Sozialstaat, S. 202-213.

Abstract

"Der deutsche Sozialstaat sieht sich im Jahr 2022 mehreren Krisen zeitgleich gegenübergestellt: Coronapandemie, Fachkräftemangel, Ukraine-Konflikt, Inflation und Energiekrise bestimmen die Berichterstattung sowie das Leben und die Probleme der Bevölkerung. Am Beispiel der Arbeitsverwaltung soll im Folgenden beschrieben werden, wie es dem deutschen Sozialstaat in der Vergangenheit gelungen ist, Krisen zu bewältigen, und wie dies in Zukunft mit Blick auf die bereits jetzt absehbaren Herausforderungen infolge der Megatrends Demografie, Digitalisierung und Dekarbonisierung auch weiterhin gelingen kann. Hierfür wird zunächst der Umbau vom Arbeitsamt zur modernen Dienstleisterin am Arbeitsmarkt sowie der Beitrag der Bundesagentur für Arbeit zum Krisenmanagement der drei großen Krisen des 21. Jahrhunderts (Wirtschafts- und Finanzkrise 2008/2009, Flüchtlingskrise 2015/2016 und Coronapandemie seit 2020) skizziert. Daran anschließend erfolgt die Darstellung der aktuellen strategischen Ausrichtung der Bundesagentur für Arbeit angesichts der zukünftigen gesellschaftlichen Herausforderungen." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Bengtsson, Mattias, Kerstin Jacobsson & Ylva Wallinder (2024): A journey into the new employment service landscape of responsibilisation: Towards de-personalisation of the caseworker–jobseeker relationship. In: International Journal of Social Welfare, Jg. 33, H. 1, S. 137-150. DOI:10.1111/ijsw.12584

Abstract

"The article analyses a new culture of responsibilisation implicated in a recent management reform in the Swedish Public Employment Service. Based on an interview study and organisational documents, it is shown that the reform entails a new form of responsibilisation of jobseekers as well as caseworkers. As jobseekers are expected to ‘carry their own case’ through the administrative job-search process, they are obliged to manage tasks that used to be in the caseworker's area of responsibility. Furthermore, caseworkers are expected to regulate themselves in new ways and change their mind-set according to new organisational values and behavioural norms, requiring a restraining of their availability to clients. It is argued that the employment agency is increasingly turned into the agency of the active and responsible jobseeker, which entails one further shift towards individual responsibility in Swedish labour market policy and one further step towards the breakup of a personal caseworker–jobseeker relationship." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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Berg, Jonathan, Lieke Oldenhof, Kim Putters & Jeroen van Wijngaarden (2024): Which client is worthy of using discretion? Analysing storytelling practices of Dutch street-level bureaucrats in inter-departmental settings. In: Journal of Social Policy, S. 1-20. DOI:10.1017/s0047279424000199

Abstract

"Multiple welfare states are re-emphasising the need for street-level bureaucrats’ (SLBs) discretion to stimulate responsive service provision. However, little is known about how SLBs with diverse backgrounds in inter-departmental settings deliberate what it means to use discretion well when different rules, eligibility criteria, and interpretations apply to a client. We address this gap by investigating the stories that participants of a Dutch policy experiment told each other to justify which clients should be granted a flexible interpretation of entitlement categories amid scarcity. We found that ‘caretakers’ used the ‘victim of circumstances’ and ‘good citizen’ plot-type to convince ‘service providers’ that the use of discretion was the right thing to do, whereas the latter used the ‘not needy enough’ or ‘the irresponsible citizen’ plot-type for contestation. Our analysis shows that storytelling helped SLBs to make sense of and bring cohesion to complex situations. Moreover, the analysis shows how stories can have a strong emotional appeal and create a sense of urgency to act collectively, yet can also create divisions and opposition among SLBs. As such, storytelling influences how SLBs think and feel about the client, themselves, and each other, and influences how discretion is used at the front-line of public policy." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bernhard, Sarah & Christine Dauth (2024): Eingliederungszuschüsse für Arbeitslose wirken als Sprungbrett in den allgemeinen Arbeitsmarkt ( Serie „Evaluation von Instrumenten der aktiven Arbeitsmarktpolitik“). In: IAB-Forum H. 15.01.2024 Nürnberg. DOI:10.48720/IAB.FOO.20240115.01

Abstract

"Der Eingliederungszuschuss soll Arbeitsuchenden den Weg in eine sozialversicherungspflichtige Beschäftigung ebnen. Tatsächlich deuten viele Studien auf verbesserte Beschäftigungschancen für Geförderte hin. Gleichwohl sollte das Instrument behutsam eingesetzt werden, um unnötige Mitnahmeeffekte zu vermeiden." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Bokun, Anna (2024): Cash transfers and fertility: Evidence from Poland’s Family 500+ Policy. In: Demographic Research, Jg. 51, S. 855-910. DOI:10.4054/demres.2024.51.28

Abstract

"Background: To increase the lowest fertility rate in the European Union in 2015, combat poverty, and invest in children’s human capital, the Polish government launched a pronatalist cash transfer program in 2016. Objective: What are the short-term fertility effects of the Family 500+ cash transfer? Which groups of women responded to the cash transfer? Methods: Using the Polish Household Budget Survey (2010–2018), I estimate linear probability regression models to identify the effect of the cash transfer on the probability of a birth as a function of a woman’s cash transfer eligibility, including heterogeneous effects by age, income, and education. Results: In the short term, the cash transfer is associated with an increased annual probability of overall births by 1.5 percentage points. Heterogeneity analyses reveal the cash transfer is associated with increased fertility for women aged 31–40 (0.7 to 1.8 percentage points), in contrast to decreased fertility for women aged 21–30 (2.2 to 2.6 percentage points) and women with higher household incomes (1 percentage point). Conclusions: This analysis provides mixed evidence on the short-term efficacy of the cash transfer on fertility. Some demographic groups are more sensitive to the additional income, suggesting that the economic and social barriers to fertility are not equally distributed in the Polish population. Contribution: Descriptive analyses of changing short-term fertility can facilitate timely adjustments to policies, identify emerging trends that may signal long-term patterns, and inform resource allocation." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Max-Planck-Institut für demographische Forschung) ((en))

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Bruckmeier, Kerstin, Claudia Lehnert, Gesine Stephan & Joachim Wolff (2024): Kosten-Nutzen-Analysen der aktiven Arbeitsmarktpolitik: Eine Einschätzung. (IAB-Forschungsbericht 21/2024), Nürnberg, 23 S. DOI:10.48720/IAB.FB.2421

Abstract

"Aktive Arbeitsmarktpolitik ist – sofern sie wirksam ist – eine Investition in die Beschäftigungschancen der von Arbeitslosigkeit betroffenen bzw. bedrohten Menschen. Sie kann insbesondere im Bereich der Grundsicherung auch sozialpolitische Ziele erreichen, wie z.B. sehr arbeitsmarktfernen Personen überhaupt einen Zugang zum Arbeitsmarkt zu ermöglichen. Ziel dieses Beitrags ist eine Einschätzung des Potenzials von Kosten-Nutzen-Analysen der aktiven Arbeitsmarktpolitik. Er geht ferner auf die Aussagekraft solcher Analysen ein, die aus verschiedenen Gründen eingeschränkt ist. Zu den Wirkungen der aktiven Arbeitsmarktpolitik auf die Arbeitsmarktchancen der Geförderten liegen zahlreiche Studien vor. Auf der individuellen Ebene erweisen sich die Instrumente der Arbeitsmarktpolitik in der Regel als wirksam. Nicht jede Maßnahme, die wirksam ist, muss jedoch auch (aus einer vereinfachten fiskalischen Sicht) kosteneffizient sein. Gerade bei knappen Haushaltsmitteln gibt es in Politik und Verwaltung daher ein hohes Interesse an Kosten-Nutzen-Analysen der aktiven Arbeitsmarktpolitik. In der Praxis unterliegen diese jedoch verschiedenen Einschränkungen. Kosten und Nutzen arbeitsmarktpolitischer Instrumente können auf unterschiedlichen Ebenen und in verschiedener Hinsicht anfallen. Die fiskalische Kosten-Nutzen-Analyse bewertet Kosten und Nutzen arbeitsmarktpolitischer Instrumente für die öffentlichen Haushalte in monetären Größen. Bereits bei der Abschätzung direkter fiskalischer Effekte gibt es verschiedene methodische Herausforderungen. Neben direkten fiskalischen Komponenten kann es auch Makro- und Wohlfahrtseffekte der Arbeitsförderung geben, die teils über den Arbeitsmarkt hinausreichen. Bei der sozialen Kosten-Nutzen-Analyse steht aus einer gesamtgesellschaftlichen Perspektive die in Nutzeneinheiten gemessene Wohlfahrt der Gesamtheit an Individuen im Vordergrund. Während Wirkungsanalysen vergleichsweise einfach zu interpretieren sind, stellt sich dies bei Kosten-Nutzen-Analysen daher anders dar. Es gibt unterschiedliche Ebenen, an denen Kosten-Nutzen-Analysen ansetzen können. Für gesamtwirtschaftliche Analysen ist es in der Regel kaum möglich, alle erforderlichen Größen abzuschätzen. Bei den bislang vorherrschenden direkten fiskalischen Kosten-Nutzen-Analysen aus Sicht der öffentlichen Hand gibt es hingegen zahlreiche Einschränkungen, die bei einer Interpretation zu beachten sind. Aufgrund der genannten Einschränkungen und Annahmen ist es extrem vereinfachend und unter Umständen sogar irreführend, den Nettonutzen einer Maßnahme in einer einzigen Zahl zusammenzufassen. Denn Kosten und Nutzen der aktiven Arbeitsmarktpolitik lassen sich eben nicht vollständig erfassen und damit nicht exakt beziffern. Die Autor*innen dieses Beitrags plädieren daher dafür, statt klassischer fiskalischer Kosten-Nutzen-Analysen quantitative und qualitative Bewertungen bzw. Einordnungen vorzunehmen. Diese sollten – soweit entsprechende Angaben verfügbar sind – Kosten und Nutzen diskutieren, dabei aber auch nicht monetäre Kosten- und Nutzenkomponenten berücksichtigen und auf weitere Aspekte wie Zielgruppen und Förderziele eingehen. Nur wenn auch die nicht monetären Aspekte berücksichtigt werden, lässt sich beurteilen, ob eine Maßnahme zweckmäßig ist. Zur Einordnung gehört auch, den Grad der Unsicherheit einer Analyse deutlich zu machen, der sich daraus ergibt, dass zu relevanten Aspekten möglicherweise keine empirische Evidenz vorliegt. Daher sollte auch offengelegt werden, welche Aussagen unter Umständen auf mehr oder weniger weitreichenden, aber empirisch nicht oder nur teilweise abgesicherten Annahmen beruhen." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Chang, Yu-Ling & Leslie Hodges (2024): Did Unemployment Insurance Modernization Provisions Increase Benefit Receipt among Economically Disadvantaged Workers? In: Social Service Review, Jg. 98, H. 1, S. 139-177. DOI:10.1086/728680

Abstract

"This study investigates the effects of state expansions of unemployment insurance (UI) eligibility criteria on UI recipiency among unemployed workers. Using a difference-in-differences approach and data from the Current Population Survey (2003-2020), we find evidence largely consistent with the expected overall and differential effects of the expansions. An alternative base period (ABP) increases UI take-up by approximately 5 percentage points. Some evidence suggests compelling family reasons provisions increase take-up among caregivers but not those without caring responsibilities. Part-time provisions increase take-up among previously part-time workers, with no effect on previously full-time workers. The estimated magnitudes are around 6 percentage points. In addition, we observe some evidence of differential impacts by gender. Our findings contribute insights into UI policy conversations, including federal mandates for ABP and part-time provisions in eligibility determinations." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Dejemeppe, Muriel, Matthieu Delpierre & Mathilde Pourtois (2024): Hiring subsidies for low-educated unemployed youths are ineffective in a tight labor market. (GLO discussion paper / Global Labor Organization 1451), Essen, 38 S.

Abstract

"We evaluate the impact of hiring subsidies for unemployed jobseekers in Wallonia, the Frenchspeaking region in the south of Belgium. The special feature of these subsidies is that they are more readily available for low-educated youths, who are eligible from registration as a jobseeker or a few months later. In contrast, others must wait 12 months to be eligible. We exploit this difference in a regression discontinuity design and show that earlier access to subsidies does not enhance the jobfinding rate of the target group. We attribute the lack of effect to the pre-pandemic tightening of the labor market." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Dohmen, Thomas, Eva Kleifgen, Steffen Künn & Gesine Stephan (2024): "New Plan", berufliche Weiterentwicklung und die Rolle von Informationen. (IAB-Forschungsbericht 01/2024), Nürnberg, 33 S. DOI:10.48720/IAB.FB.2401

Abstract

"In der sich wandelnden Arbeitswelt reicht es in der Regel nicht mehr aus, einmal im Leben einen Beruf zu erlernen. Oft ist im bisherigen Beruf eine Weiterentwicklung sinnvoll oder sogar erforderlich; eventuelle Berufswechsel erfordern dann häufig den Erwerb neuer Kenntnisse und Fähigkeiten. Um die Chancen und Herausforderungen einschätzen zu können, ist eine gute Informationsbasis erforderlich. Die Bundesagentur für Arbeit (BA) hat im Rahmen ihrer Berufsberatung im Erwerbsleben (BBiE) das Online-Tool New Plan entwickelt. Dieses soll Menschen dabei helfen im Beruf voranzukommen, die eigenen Stärken zu erkennen und neue Perspektiven zu finden. Das Tool besteht aus drei Bereichen: „Möglichkeiten testen“, „Inspirieren lassen“, „Weiterbildung suchen“. Der Bereich „Inspirieren“ stellt dabei auf Berufsebene umfassende Informationen für eine mögliche berufliche Umorientierung zur Verfügung. Dieser Forschungsbericht stellt Ergebnisse aus einer Online-Befragung von Beschäftigten und Personen, die Arbeitslosengeld bezogen, vor. Die Befragung hat unter anderem erhoben, ob Personen New Plan kannten und nutzten, an beruflicher Weiterentwicklung interessiert waren und sich gut über ihre Verdienst- und Beschäftigungsmöglichkeiten informiert fühlten. Der Bericht geht zudem der Frage nach, ob Personen diese Fragen anders beantworteten, wenn sie zuvor ein Informationsschreiben zu New Plan erhalten hatten. Zu der Befragung wurden im Juni 2022 Personen eingeladen, die im Januar 2022 zu einer der folgenden vier Gruppen gehörten: sozialversicherungspflichtig Vollzeitbeschäftigte (einschließlich Personen in Helfertätigkeiten), sozialversicherungspflichtig Vollzeitbeschäftigte in Helfertätigkeiten, Arbeitslosengeldempfänger*innen (einschließlich Personen ohne Berufsabschluss), Arbeitslosengeldempfänger*innen ohne Berufsabschluss. Insgesamt umfasst das hier ausgewertete Analysesample gut 4.400 Personen. Im Ergebnis zeigt sich, dass New Plan den Vollzeitbeschäftigten im Schnitt deutlich seltener bekannt war als den Personen, die zum damaligen Zeitpunkt bzw. davor Arbeitslosengeld bezogen hatten – ohne vorheriges Informationsschreiben betrugen die Anteile rund 2 bzw. 11 Prozent. Der Bekanntheitsgrad von New Plan stieg deutlich, wenn Personen zuvor ein Informationsschreiben erhalten hatten – bei den Vollzeitbeschäftigten und Arbeitslosengeldempfänger*innen nahm der Bekanntheitsgrad jeweils um 14 Prozentpunkte zu. Vollzeitbeschäftigte hatten New Plan ohne vorheriges Informationsschreiben mit 0,3 Prozent anteilig deutlich seltener angeschaut als Arbeitslosengeldempfänger*innen mit 8 Prozent. Hochgerechnet auf die aktuellen Grundgesamtheiten hätten demnach etwa 63.000 Vollzeitbeschäftigte und 61.000 Arbeitslosengeldempfänger*innen New Plan bereits einmal angeschaut. Auch hier zeigt sich, dass das vorher verschickte Informationsschreiben den Anteil der Befragten, der das Tool bereits angeschaut hatte, um etwa 10 Prozentpunkte erhöhen konnte. Die Befragung zeigt auch: Vollzeitbeschäftigte waren – mit knapp zwei Drittel – in etwas geringerem Ausmaß an beruflicher Weiterentwicklung interessiert als Arbeitslosengeldempfänger*innen. Deren Anteil lag hier bei knapp drei Vierteln – relativ unabhängig davon, ob die Befragten vorher ein Informationsschreiben erhalten hatten oder nicht. Die befragten Vollzeitbeschäftigten fühlten sich schließlich zu deutlich mehr als 50 Prozent (eher) gut über ihre Verdienst- und – in etwas höherem Umfang – über ihre Beschäftigungschancen informiert. Auch bei den Arbeitslosengeldempfänger*innen fühlten sich mehr als 50 Prozent (eher) gut informiert, bei wiederum nur geringen Unterschieden zwischen Personen mit oder ohne vorherigem Informationsschreiben." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Eppel, Rainer, Ulrike Huemer, Helmut Mahringer & Lukas Schmoigl (2024): Active Labor Market Policies: What Works for the Long-Term Unemployed? In: The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis and Policy, Jg. 24, H. 1, S. 141-185. DOI:10.1515/bejeap-2023-0079

Abstract

"There is still a lack of knowledge on how to effectively help the long-term unemployed into employment. We evaluate a wide range of active labour market policies for this target group, using a dynamic matching approach. Measures vary considerably in the extent to which they improve labor market prospects. Human capital-intensive training programs that substantially enhance vocational skills and employment programs are most effective, short activating job search training the least. Our results suggest that not only wage subsidies in the private sector, but also direct job creation in the public and non-profit sectors can work, if properly designed." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © De Gruyter) ((en))

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Esmark, Anders & Mikkel Bech Liengaard (2024): Does Ethnicity Affect Allocation of Unemployment-Related Benefits to Job Center Clients? A Survey-Experimental Study of Representative Bureaucracy in Denmark. In: Journal of Social Policy, Jg. 53, S. 107-128. DOI:10.1017/S0047279422000034

Abstract

"The role of street-level bureaucracy in social policy has been taken up by two relatively distinct streams of research, based on Lipsky’s foundational work (2010). One group of literature has focused on the organizational working conditions, practices and coping mechanisms of street-level bureaucrats, their impact on the implementation of political programs and reforms, and the scope for discretion in the face of political pressures and institutional demands (Brodkin and Marston, 2013; Jessen and Tufte, 2014; Breit et al., 2016; Van Berkel et al., 2017; van Berkel, 2020). Starting from a focus on interaction with clients and the direct impact of discretionary decisions ‘on people’s lives’ (Lipsky, 2010, 8), a second group of studies has focused more on differences in allocation of benefits caused by perceived ‘deservingness’ and discrimination among street-level bureaucrats (Altreiter and Leibetseder, 2014; Terum et al., 2018; Jilke and Tummers, 2018)." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Falkenhain, Mariella & Andreas Hirseland (2024): Limits of Activation? Street-Level Responses to the 2015 Refugee Challenge in German Job Centers. In: Journal of Immigrant and Refugee Studies, S. 1-15. DOI:10.1080/15562948.2024.2313210

Abstract

"Frontline workers in host-country state organizations influence refugees’ life chances and social integration. Yet little is known about how the local organizational environment shapes the action orientations of street-level bureaucrats (SLBs). This article explores how German job centers and placement officers have responded to the unprecedented increase in refugee clients following the winter of 2015/16. Our findings suggest that new organizational structures motivate SLBs to interpret rules flexibly and do what works well. This pattern of authorized rule bending is relevant for overcoming the limits of activation and for the inclusion/exclusion of refugees as mediated by state bureaucracy." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Taylor & Francis) ((en))

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Fitzenberger, Bernd (2024): Warum die aktuelle Bürgergelddebatte nicht die richtigen Schwerpunkte setzt. In: IAB-Forum H. 11.03.2024 Nürnberg. DOI:10.48720/IAB.FOO.20240311.01

Abstract

"Das Bürgergeld in seiner derzeitigen Form ist heftig umstritten. Viele Debattenbeiträge zeichnen dabei ein verengtes und teilweise unzutreffendes Bild. Denn die Vielschichtigkeit der Problemlagen von Menschen im Bürgergeldbezug wird oftmals verkannt. Anders als vielfach behauptet, haben Menschen, die nur Bürgergeld beziehen, in jedem Fall weniger Geld zur Verfügung als Menschen, die arbeiten. Trotz des Arbeitskräftemangels gelingt allerdings zu selten die Vermittlung in Beschäftigung – auch weil die Leistungsberechtigten häufig nicht zu den Profilen der offenen Stellen passen." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Fuchs, Philipp, Stefan Feldens & Claudia Globisch (2024): Wie Arbeitsagenturen arbeitsmarktferne Arbeitslose durch spezialisierte Beratung unterstützen. In: IAB-Forum H. 04.11.2024 Nürnberg. DOI:10.48720/IAB.FOO.20241104.01

Abstract

"Mit der „Internen ganzheitlichen Integrationsberatung“ (INGA) erhalten Arbeitslose mit komplexen Problemlagen eine intensive Beratung von den Arbeitsagenturen – also im Rechtskreis des Sozialgesetzbuchs III (SGB III). Erste Ergebnisse einer qualitativen Studie zeigen, dass INGA eine Angebotslücke schließt und größtenteils den konzeptionellen Ansprüchen an eine individuelle und ganzheitliche Beratung gerecht wird. Zugleich treten innerhalb der Arbeitsagenturen Spannungsverhältnisse zutage, die schwer zu beseitigen sind: Denn mit einer neuen Weisung werden zusätzlich Arbeitslose mit sehr komplexen Problemlagen für die INGA-Beratung vorgesehen, die von den einzelnen Arbeitsagenturen festgelegten Controlling-Ziele für die Beratung aber nicht unbedingt angepasst." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Gaillard, Alexandre & Sumudu Kankanamge (2024): From Unemployment to Self-Employment: An Evaluation of Self-Employment Assistance Programs. In: Journal of labor economics. DOI:10.1086/732765

Abstract

"This paper evaluates Self-Employment Assistance (SEA) programs, which are Government initiatives extending the unemployment insurance (UI) system to support unemployment to self-employment transitions. Using a general equilibrium model of the US labor market,we show that these programs have important labor market mobility effects and increase theself-employment rate. They also significantly impact the composition and performance out-comes of self-employment: while lump-sum subsidies select low-skilled individuals, SEAprograms contingent on previously employed earnings select skilled and wealthier individuals. At the aggregate level, the latter programs mainly reallocate individuals from employ-ment to self-employment, leaving the unemployment rate largely unaffected." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Grover, Chris (2024): Explaining the abolition of the wage stop in the UK. In: The Journal of Poverty and Social Justice, Jg. 32, H. 1, S. 47-64. DOI:10.1332/175982723x17029202968181

Abstract

"Before the introduction of the household benefit cap in the UK in 2013 the previous mechanism there limited the income of social assistance recipients was the wage stop, operating for four decades between 1935 and 1975. Similar to the benefit cap, the wage stop reflected and reproduced concerns with incentivising unemployed people to labour. This raises questions about why the wage stop was abolished in the mid-1970s when worries about unemployment continued, particularly its intersections with out-of-work benefits. It is widely argued that the abolition of the wage stop was a consequence of lobbying by the Child Poverty Action Group. Drawing upon records held at the UK’s National Archives, this article argues that this is an over-simplified explanation that, first, ignores concerns with the wage stop that pre-dated the Child Poverty Action Group’s criticism of it, including concerns within the assistance boards with its administration. And, second, while by the mid-1970s there was (albeit ambiguous) concern with the impacts of the wage stop, there was a shift in approach that emphasised the supplementation of low wages with social security benefits, rather than forcing social assistance below the assessed needs of households, as being a preferable means of ensuring the incentive to take wage-labour." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2024 Policy Press) ((en))

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Gökten, Meryem, Philipp Heimberger & Andreas Lichtenberger (2024): How Far from Full Employment? The European Unemployment Problem Revisited. (WIIW working paper 245), Wien, 44 S.

Abstract

"This paper analyses deviations from full employment in EU countries, compared with the US and the UK. We apply the Beveridge (full-employment-consistent) rate of unemployment (BECRU), derived from the unemployment-vacancies relationship. The BECRU is the level of unemployment that minimizes the non-productive use of labor. Based on a novel dataset for the period 1970-2022, we find full employment episodes in selected EU countries (Germany, Sweden, Austria, Finland) during the 1970s. The European unemployment problem emerged in the 1980s and 1990s, as Beveridgean full employment gaps increased. In the run-up to the global financial crisis, full employment gaps declined, then increased during the Great Recession. Slack in labor markets increased initially during the pandemic. Labour markets became tighter when recovering from the COVID-19 crisis, but few countries hit full employment. Panel regressions highlight that hysteresis, labor market institutions, structural factors, macroeconomic factors and political factors contribute to explaining full employment gaps." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Hansen, Magnus Paulsen, Signe Elmer Christensen & Peter Triantafillou (2024): Legitimating collaboration, collaborating to legitimate: Justification work in “holistic” services for long-term unemployed persons. In: Journal of Social Policy, Jg. 53, H. 3, S. 876-896. DOI:10.1017/S004727942200071X

Abstract

"To address complex social problems, such as long-term unemployment, local authorities in many countries are developing “holistic” or “integrated” services, where multiple actors and professions collaborate with a view to better meet the needs of the individual citizen. By breaking with existing practices and regulations, collaborative services must be legitimized in new ways so as to appear acceptable not only in the eyes of the public and politicians, but also to caseworkers and the long-term unemployed persons. This article examines the multifarious and sometimes neglected efforts to make these collaborative services legitimate in the eyes of this plurality of stakeholders on multiple levels of governance. Our study indicates three distinct but mutually interrelated spheres of audience that require partly conflicting justification work. We also find that the narrow pursuit of justification work to ensure legitimacy with one audience may potentially jeopardize the justification work in the other two." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Heiler, Simon J. (2024): Worker Heterogeneity and Optimal Unemployment Insurance: The Surprising Power of the Floor. (CRC TR 224 discussion paper series / EPoS Collaborative Research Center Transregio 224 545), Bonn, 46 S.

Abstract

"Incentives to search for employment vary systematically with age and idiosyncratic labor productivity. These variations should be accounted for when designing UI policy, yet conditioning on related factors can be difficult or infeasible in practice. Using a life cycle model with endogenous human capital accumulation, idiosyncratic labor risk, and permanent differences in worker productivity, I analyze optimal UI policies. I find that for the U.S. an age-and-type-dependent policy generates welfare gains equal to 0.3 percentage points of consumption in all states and periods relative to a constant a replacement rate. Moreover, I demonstrate that about 80% of the gains from conditioning replacement rates on age only and about 60% of the welfare gains from conditioning on age and productivity can be generated by the current U.S. UI system. This can be achieved by substantially raising the benefit floor, a feature of the U.S. UI system that is largely ineffective in its current implementation." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Högberg, Björn & Anna Baranowska-Rataj (2024): Effects of parental job loss on psychotropic drug use in children: Long-term effects, timing, and cumulative exposure. In: Advances in life course research, Jg. 60. DOI:10.1016/j.alcr.2024.100607

Abstract

"Intra-family crossover effects triggered by job losses have received growing attention across scientific disciplines, but existing research has reached discrepant conclusions concerning if, and if so how, parental job losses affect child mental health. Drawing on sociological models of stress and life course epidemiology, we ask if parental job losses have long-term effects on child mental health, and if these effects are conditional on the timing of, or the cumulative exposure to, job losses. We use intergenerationally linked Swedish register data combined with entropy balance and structural nested mean models for the analyses. The data allow us to track 400,000 children over 14 years and thereby test different life-course models of cross-over effects. We identify involuntary job losses using information on workplace closures, thus reducing the risk of confounding. Results show that paternal but not maternal job loss significantly increases the risk of psychotropic drug use among children, that the average effects are modest in size (less than 4% in relative terms), that they may persist for up to five years, and that they are driven by children aged 6–10 years. Moreover, cumulative exposure to multiple job losses are more harmful than zero or one job loss." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2024 Elsevier) ((en))

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Junquera, Álvaro F. (2024): More money, more effect? Employment effects of job search programs in Veneto. (SocArXiv papers), 26 S. DOI:10.31235/osf.io/rjshu

Abstract

"Despite being widely regarded as effective labor market interventions, the impact of job search programs on employment remains contested. Recent research challenges the assumption that the intensity of such programs is directly related with its effectiveness. We evaluate the effects of two treatments of an Italian active labour market program called Assegno per il Lavoro. Each intervention is made up of a voucher to fund job search assistance and a performance-based payment related to job search brokerage. Participants are assigned to a certain group with a certain treatment endowment that is increasing in function of a scoring variable. Leveraging this design, we applied a regression discontinuity analysis to estimate effects on the employment quantity and on the employment quality. We found null effects on the average of worked days for the two treatment comparisons, with transient small effects during the first year for the high endowment. Significant increases of approximately one month were observed at the median of the distribution for certain semesters, but later the effects fade away. This is the first paper studying the effect of the intensity of job search actions on employment in a European context. The main policy implication is a shift from a focus on intensity to a focus on other design elements." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Kasrin, Zein & Stefan Tübbicke (2024): Which Active Labor Market Policies Work for Male Refugees? Evidence from Germany. In: Journal of Social Policy, Jg. 53, H. 3, S. 727-750., 2022-05-24. DOI:10.1017/S0047279422000605

Abstract

"In this paper, we estimate the causal effects of a set of active labor market programs for male unemployed refugees on welfare who entered Germany between, 2013 and September, 2016. Using rich administrative data, we employ covariate balancing propensity scores combined with inverse probability weighting to estimate effects up to 33 months after the start of treatment. Our results show that relatively short-term training in the form of Schemes by Providers and In-Firm Training, as well as longer-term Further Vocational Training programs have a positive impact on both the employment chances as well as labor market earnings of refugees in the medium run. So-called “One Euro Jobs”, a public employment program, does not yield positive effects on employment or earnings. Sensitivity analyses confirm that our results are unlikely to be driven by unobserved confounding." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Cambridge University Press) ((en))

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Knize, Veronika & Markus Wolf (2024): Help or harm? Examining the effects of active labour market programmes on young adults' employment quality and the role of social origin. In: Journal of European Social Policy, Jg. 34, H. 5, S. 573-589., 2024-02-29. DOI:10.1177/09589287241268442

Abstract

"Active labor market programs (ALMPs) should help young adults who collect welfare benefits ‘get back on track’. Despite the recent proliferation of research on ALMPs, only scant attention has been paid to their employment quality effects. Aiming to fill this gap, this article evaluates the long-term effects of German ALMPs on young adults’ employment quality. We measure employment quality with two indicators: one on whether someone has a job with earnings below the low wage threshold and the other on whether they have a job with earnings above the low wage threshold. These measures help us assess whether ALMPs prevent young adults from being at risk of poverty again. In addition, we study whether ALMP effects vary by social origin. We distinguish young adults by whether their families collected benefits when they were adolescents, as a marker for disadvantaged social origin. We analyze in-firm training and one-euro jobs as examples for enabling and workfare programs, which exist across other welfare states as well. Empirically, we apply an entropy balancing approach to a self-drawn sample from registry data to analyze ALMP treatment effects. Results show that in-firm training enhances young adults’ employment quality in the long run. The effects tend to be lower for those from disadvantaged families though, indicating that disadvantages embedded in social origin remain. The workfare program harms participants’ employment quality, with those less disadvantaged suffering the greatest damage. Overall, our research provides evidence that in-firm training effectively enables young adults to find a job of higher quality, addressing their risk of social exclusion and proving useful in promoting upward social mobility. Nonetheless, the article also raises urgent issues concerning how the needs of those most vulnerable can be addressed by social policy." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © SAGE) ((en))

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Marzi, Marta Serena Liliana, Alessandra Marini, Ludovica Cherchi & Francesco Cenedese (2024): Minimum Income and Social Inclusion Pathways : A review ofselected European Union programs. (Social protection & jobs : discussion paper / World Bank Group, Social Protection & Jobs 2408), Washington, DC, 90 S.

Abstract

"Across European Union (EU) countries, the institutional design of Minimum Income (MI) programs varies widely in terms of the benefits and services provided to recipients, despite significant convergence toward a similar MI model and shared common approaches. This discussion paper investigates the delivery of social inclusion pathways, i.e., non-monetary support components to foster MI recipients' social inclusion and highlights common challenges and good practices across eight EU case study countries (Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden). The paper shows that while some countries prioritize labor activation for workforce reintegration of MI recipients, others aim for broader social inclusion, recognizing the challenges in integrating such recipients into the labor market due to their complex needs. Moreover, the paper examines how the social inclusion pathway and case management interventions in MI programs affect recipient's welfare within poverty-targeted programs. It notes the lack of evidence on the effectiveness and impact of social inclusion pathways within MIs and mentions ongoing evaluations in Spain, Italy, and France to address this gap." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Määttä, Mirja, Sanna Toiviainen & Sanna Aaltonen (2024): Participatory Support for NEET Young People: A Case Study of a Finnish Educational Project. In: Journal of applied youth studies, Jg. 7, H. 1, S. 65-82. DOI:10.1007/s43151-024-00115-4

Abstract

"The aim of this paper is to offer a nuanced inquiry into the practices and scope of educational support offered to young people who are not in education, employment, or training (NEET). The study is based on participant observations and qualitative interviews with 35 young people and five project workers within the context of a Finnish educational project, which offered a daily group-based learning environment for 15-to-24-year-old NEET young people. Following a sociological interventionist approach, we interpret the logic of action—program theory—of the project, namely how the project workers defined the problems they intended to solve and what their aims and practical solutions were. Enhancing youth participation was the key point of their program theory. We juxtapose the program theory with young people's perceptions of how they experienced the project's participation-enhancing measures. In our analysis, we describe three levels of activity and participation forms the project enabled for the young people involved: individual, communal, and structural. The project enabled young people's participation by offering tailored support for education and work and a social learning community linking young people to the wider community. Structural and systemic hindrances were also acknowledged, but the project aimed at helping the students adapt to these rather than challenging them. The results of this case study suggest that projects targeting NEET young people can operate and have an effect beyond individual support but could pay more attention to the structural barriers and let young people develop their own critical thinking." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Redman, Jamie, Del Roy Fletcher, Richard White & Lindsey Mccarthy (2024): 'You had to be the Detective': Implementing Workfare in British Employment Services. In: Journal of Social Policy, Jg. 53, H. 4, S. 897-915. DOI:10.1017/S0047279422000733

Abstract

"British employment service delivery has shifted towards a model primed on core ‘workfare’ objectives – that is, enforcing behavioral compliance to work-related duties and expanding participation in work. Nevertheless, significant gaps remain in current knowledge about how workfare is implemented daily by frontline staff. The existing international street-level research on employment service delivery reveals how workers use a range of discretionary practices to achieve workfare objectives. Yet this research largely ignores how, in practice, a key aspect of enforcing behavioral compliance and encouraging work participation is through contending with its opposite – behavioral non-compliance. Analyzing 13 interviews with frontline staff, this article contributes to street-level knowledge by revealing the ways managers and workers in British employment services are encouraged to detect and correct variations of claimant non-compliance." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Rübner, Matthias & Matthias Schulze-Böing (Hrsg.) (2024): Gut beraten im Jobcenter? Beratungsqualität als Herausforderung für Führung und Praxis. Baden-Baden: Nomos, 353 S. DOI:10.5771/9783748951537

Abstract

"Gute Beratung ist ein zentraler Erfolgsfaktor der Grundsicherung für Arbeitsuchende nach dem SGB II (Bürgergeld). Veränderungen im Arbeitsmarkt, gesellschaftliche Entwicklungen und die Entwicklung des Rechts haben in den letzten Jahren die Praxis der Beratung in den Jobcentern vor neue Herausforderungen gestellt. Der Band beleuchtet mit Beiträgen von namhaften Experten aus Arbeitsmarktforschung, Beratungswissenschaft, Soziologie, Sozialer Arbeit, Rechtswissenschaft und Praxis, was gute Beratung ausmacht, wie Beratung in der Praxis ausgestaltet wird und wie sie weiterentwickelt werden kann. Besonderen Stellenwert haben dabei innovative Ansätze zur Verbesserung der Qualität und Wirksamkeit von Beratung in Jobcentern und verschiedene Konzepte der Qualitätsentwicklung." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Schlachter, Svenja, Sophia Helen Adam, Maximilian Baxendale, Melanie Gantner, Maria Gralla, Florian Junne, Peter Martus, Miriam Mehler, Daniel Nischk, Marina Pumptow, Rebecca Erschens, Harald Gündel, Nicolas Rüsch & Jörn von Wietersheim (2024): Effectiveness of a three-component intervention supporting unemployed individuals with mental health issues in their job search and mental health recovery (3for1): study protocol of a non-randomized controlled study. In: BMC public health, Jg. 24, H. 1. DOI:10.1186/s12889-024-20323-0

Abstract

"Background: There is a vicious cycle between unemployment and mental health issues. Unemployed individuals with mental health issues require individualized support at multiple levels in order to promote their mental health, and obtain and retain employment. The 3for1-intervention program aims to provide such support with three components (short-term psychotherapy, job coaching based on the Individual Placement and Support approach, and peer support). This study protocol outlines how the effectiveness of this three-component intervention program in terms of re-employment, mental health, and psychosocial outcomes will be evaluated. Methods: The 3for1-intervention program will be evaluated with a non-randomized controlled trial design in a multi-center study. 500 eligible participants aged between 18 and 60 years from six job centers in Southern Germany will be allocated to a control group or an intervention group. Allocation is time-based, with the control group being recruited first, followed by recruitment of the intervention group. The control group will receive treatment as usual, whereas the intervention group will receive treatment as usual as well as access to the three intervention components over a period of 12 months. Assessment will be conducted at baseline (t0), and 12 (t1) and 18 (t3) months later. The primary outcome will be the proportion of participants who are in employment subject to social insurance contributions at t1. Differences between control and intervention group will be tested with logistic regression analysis, controlling for relevant covariates. Analyses of secondary outcomes will relate to group differences regarding re-employment, health and well-being, social integration, help-seeking, and self-stigma at t1 and t2, applying logistic regression analysis or analysis of covariance. Additionally, usage of health services will be measured to evaluate the intervention program’s cost effectiveness. Discussion: The 3for1-intervention aims to improve employability and mental health outcomes of a vulnerable population with high need for assistance. Improvements for this population would benefit the German welfare state as well. This study could provide valuable insights into the feasibility, implementation, and sustainability of this individualized, multi-level support program within German job centers. Trial registration: This trial is registered with the German Clinical Trials Register: DRKS00029002 (registered on 11 May 2022)." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Schäfer, Holger (2024): Arbeitsmarkt: Vieles gleich, aber alles anders. In: IW-Trends, Jg. 51, H. 1, S. 51-57. DOI:10.2373/1864-810X.24-01-07

Abstract

"Die in den 1950er Jahren infolge der Kriegsschäden und Einwanderung Vertriebener nach Westdeutschland noch hohe Arbeitslosigkeit (Braun/Weber, 2016) glaubte man überwunden. Die Arbeitslosenquote lag im Zeitraum 1960 bis 1973 nur einmal – im Jahr 1967 infolge einer leichten Rezession – kurzzeitig über 2 Prozent der abhängigen zivilen Erwerbspersonen. Dies änderte sich in den Jahren 1974 und 1975 deutlich, als im Zuge des Ölpreisschocks das Bruttoinlandsprodukt zunächst nur schwach zunahm und dann sogar recht deutlich zurückging. In dieser Phase stieg die Arbeitslosenquote auf 4 bis 5 Prozent (Abbildung 1). Dieser Anstieg war Ausgangspunkt einer langen Arbeitsmarktkrise, die bis zum Jahr 2005 andauerte." (Textauszug, IAB-Doku)

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Seghir, Majda (2024): The Evidence Gap in Labour Shortage Assessments. In: Intereconomics, Jg. 59, H. 3, S. 143-145. DOI:10.2478/ie-2024-0030

Abstract

"In November 2023, the European Commission unveiled a set of initiatives to address severe labor shortages. These included the creation of the European Union Talent Pool, an online platform designed to facilitate connections between employers in the EU and jobseekers from non-EU countries. This platform provides a repository of skills and facilitates international recruitment and legal migration procedures. These measures are intended to complement other efforts at the EU and national levels, including initiatives to re-skill and up-skill the existing workforce to meet the changing needs of employers. These efforts also include activating the inactive population and increasing intra-EU mobility. The formulation and implementation of such policies underscore a major concern of policymakers regarding the phenomenon of labor shortage within the EU. Concurrently, they raise crucial questions about the extent of evidence available to substantiate claims of labor shortages, the circumstances under which such shortages arise and the mechanisms that drive them." (Text excerpt, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Skjold, Suzan Mbatudde & Kjetil Grimastad Lundberg (2024): Accountability in personalized Supported Employment-based activation services. In: Journal of Social Policy, Jg. 53, H. 4, S. 916-932. DOI:10.1017/S0047279422000915

Abstract

"This article explores the accountability experiences and orientations of frontline workers implementing personalized activation services in the Norwegian Labor and Welfare Administration (NAV). The study draws on observations and interviews (2021), with three teams of employment specialists using Supported Employment as an approach to personalized service provision, in a national program called Extended Follow-up. Adopting the theoretical lens of accountability as behaviors of account giving, three strategies on how to adopt the accountability regime at the frontline are highlighted: (i) reporting, where one team complied with accountability requirements as the perceived best practices for achieving success in work inclusion; (ii) mitigating, where accountability requirements were fulfilled but combined with attention to how to best meet jobseekers’ needs; and (iii) reframing, where accountability requirements were challenged and redefined. The study highlights how accountability requirements may be interpreted variably, promoting personalized service innovation on the one hand or stagnation on the other." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Sowula, Jakub, Franziska Gehrig, Lyle A. Scruggs, Martin Seeleib-Kaiser & Gabriela Ramalho Tafoya (2024): The end of welfare states as we know them? A multidimensional perspective. In: Social Policy and Administration, Jg. 58, H. 5, S. 785-799. DOI:10.1111/spol.12990

Abstract

"This article highlights the limitations of unidimensional analyses in the comparative welfare state literature and emphasises the need for a more holistic, multidimensional approach incorporating social spending, welfare state outputs and outcomes. To illustrate the utility of a multidimensional approach, we examine the long‐term welfare state trajectories of Sweden and Germany, prototypical social‐democratic and conservative welfare states, respectively, and compare them against the baseline of Europe's prototypical liberal welfare state, the United Kingdom. The social spending (expenditure) and output (generosity) allowed us to identify significant changes in the Swedish welfare state (i.e., retrenchment). The outcome dimension alerts us to a policy drift in the German Welfare State, as relatively stable public spending and welfare generosity until the first half of the 2000s were nonetheless associated with sharply increased inequality and poverty. Overall, our findings suggest that a holistic, multidimensional approach is necessary to fully understand the complexities of welfare state change and continuity, as focusing solely on one dimension can lead to analytical misjudgments. The sharp rise in inequality and poverty across countries raises doubts about whether policymakers and researchers rely too much on outdated assumptions of normality that fail to meet the welfare state realities of today." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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Stephan, Gesine, Anna Heusler & Julia Lang (2024): Wer nutzt die "Berufsberatung im Erwerbsleben" der Bundesagentur für Arbeit? In: IAB-Forum H. 24.01.2024 Nürnberg. DOI:10.48720/IAB.FOO.20240124.01

Abstract

"Um Menschen bei der beruflichen Orientierung zu unterstützen, hat die Bundesagentur für Arbeit in den letzten Jahren unter anderem die Berufsberatung im Erwerbsleben weiterentwickelt. Ein Team aus dem IAB hat untersucht, welche Personengruppen dieses Angebot im Jahr 2021 genutzt haben. Fast zwei Drittel der Beratenen waren Beschäftigte. Frauen, Jüngere, Teilzeitbeschäftigte sowie Beschäftigte aus kleineren Betrieben waren dabei überproportional vertreten." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Weber, Peter C. (2024): Das Monitoring von Beratung aus Europäischer und internationaler Perspektive - Impulse für die Diskussion in Deutschland? In: Newsletter / nfb H. 1, S. 15.

Abstract

"Der vorliegende Beitrag wirft einige Schlaglichter auf die internationale und spezifisch europäische Diskussion zum Thema Monitoring in der Beratung und zieht einige Schlussfolgerungen für Deutschland. Begleitend zu den in den letzten 25 Jahren lebhaft geführten fachpolitischen Diskussionen zum Auf- und Ausbau der lebensbegleitenden Beratung (im Feld Bildung, Beruf, Beschäftigung) wurde das Thema in verschiedenen Studien und Initiativen thematisiert und beschrieben. Dabei ist zu berücksichtigen, dass die EU selbst kein auf Daten basierendes Monitoring etablieren kann oder will, sondern eher die Rolle hat, Aktivitäten auf der nationalen Ebene konzeptionell zu beschreiben und anzuregen. Der Beitrag geht kurz auf den Begriff des Monitorings und der Evaluation ein und differenziert verschiedene Gründe für die gestiegene Bedeutung von Monitoring-Aktivitäten. Daran anschließend werden zwei Modelle vorgestellt, die Indikatoren für das Monitoring beschreiben. Der dritte Teil geht auf Publikationen des CEDEFOP mit Beispielen für ein Monitoring ein und gibt Hinweise zu weiterführenden Quellen. Abschließend werden einige Schlussfolgerungen für die Diskussion und die Entwicklung eines Beratungsmonitorings in Deutschland zusammengefasst." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Bamieh, Omar & Lennart Ziegler (2023): Gender-age differences in hiring rates and prospective wages. Evidence from job referrals to unemployed workers. In: Labour Economics, Jg. 83. DOI:10.1016/j.labeco.2023.102395

Abstract

"This paper uses matched worker-vacancy data to study gender differences in hiring outcomes of jobseekers in Austria. When registered at the public employment office, jobseekers are assigned caseworkers who refer them to suitable vacancies. Our findings show that female and male jobseekers are equally likely to get hired via such a referral, but it takes women longer to get a job offer. Most of the observed gender differences stem from younger jobseekers (below age 35) and are explained by rejections of employers. Young women are also less often hired for better-paying jobs. We argue that these differences are consistent with hiring discrimination against women in their fertile age. Our analysis shows that young female jobseekers are much more likely to go on parental leave in the future, while men almost never take extended parental leave. Consistent with this hypothesis, we find that hiring differences are larger for jobs associated with higher replacement costs and smaller in tight labor markets." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2023 Elsevier) ((en))

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Barham, Tania, Brian C. Cadena & Patrick S. Turner (2023): Taking a Chance on Workers. Evidence on the Effects and Mechanisms of Subsidized Employment from an RCT. (IZA discussion paper / Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit 16221), Bonn, 114 S.

Abstract

"This paper estimates experimental impacts of a supported work program on employment, earnings, benefit receipt, and other outcomes. Case managers addressed employment barriers and provided targeted financial assistance while participants were eligible for 30 weeks of subsidized employment. Program access increased employment rates by 21 percent and earnings by 30 percent while participants were receiving services. Though gains attenuated after services stopped, treatment group members experienced lasting improvements in employment stability, job quality, and well-being, and we estimate the program's marginal value of public funds to be 0.64. Post-program impacts are entirely concentrated among participants whose subsidized job was followed by unsubsidized employment with their host-site employer. This decomposition result suggests that encouraging employer learning about potential match quality is the key mechanism underlying the program's impact, and additional descriptive evidence supports this interpretation. Machine learning methods reveal little treatment effect heterogeneity in a broad sample of job seekers using a rich set of baseline characteristics from a detailed application survey. We conclude that subsidized employment programs with a focus on creating permanent job matches can be beneficial to a wide variety of unemployed workers in the low-wage labor market." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Barnes, Tom (2023): Punish, protect or redirect? Synthesising workfare with 'spatially Keynesian' labour market policies in times of job loss. In: Environment and planning. A, Economy and space, Jg. 55, H. 4, S. 871-889. DOI:10.1177/0308518X221140891

Abstract

"The relationship between job loss and workfare has been well documented. Workers who lose jobs, including long-term careers in previously secure employment, enter systems of workfare that churn them through precarious jobs in return for meagre income support. But the relationship between workfare and alternative systems of labour market assistance rolled out before job loss is less understood. To shed new light on this issue, this article critically analyses an attempt to synthesise two labour market policies implemented in response to the closure of Australia's automotive manufacturing industry in 2017. The first policy was an altruistic, spatially Keynesian response to deindustrialisation; the second policy was based on Australia's notoriously punitive system of workfare. The article asks: how was it possible to synthesise systems framed in mutually incompatible terms? This question can be addressed, it argues, by deploying an Agency-Structure-Institutions-Discourse (ASID) approach to understand how and why these labour market policies were hybridised. The article's results are instructive in a ‘post-pandemic’ environment in which opportunities to rollout alternatives to workfare will be forced to contend with resurgent workfare states." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2023 a Pion publication) ((en))

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Bastiaans, Mareen, Robert Dur & Anne C. Gielen (2023): Activating the Long-Term Inactive: Labor Market and Mental Health Effects. (Discussion paper / Tinbergen Institute 2023-003/V), Amsterdam u.a., 73 S.

Abstract

"In many Western countries, a sizeable group of people live on welfare benefits for a long time. Many of them suffer from mental health issues. This paper studies the labor market and mental health effects of an activation program targeting these long-term inactive people. We exploit the staggered implementation of the program in a difference-in-differences design. We find that the activation program hardly affects labor market outcomes. However, for those on mental health medication prior to the start of the program, the use of mental health medication substantially drops in the years following the start of the program. This effect is particularly pronounced for men. We also study spillover effects on the children of those targeted by the program, finding some suggestive evidence for improved learning and mental health outcomes." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Benjamin, Orly, Karni Krigel, Nir Cohen & Anat Tchetchik (2023): Budgeting poverty alleviation: justifying in-kind conditionality in Israeli municipal authorities. In: The international journal of sociology and social policy, Jg. 43, H. 11/12, S. 933-947. DOI:10.1108/IJSSP-07-2022-0175

Abstract

"Purpose: Welfare reforms introduced conditionality into cash transfers often by diverse welfare-to-work programs achieving its vast legitimization. Meanwhile in-kind poverty alleviation policies maintained their universal character in the forms of national budgeting of municipal services. Utilizing justification work, the authors aim at showing how conditionality of in-kind support is replacing universalism. The authors ask which justification work assist administrators in shaping the relationship between in-kind and cash transfer and the changing meanings of poverty alleviation practices. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted 20 semi-structured interviews with senior administrators in Israeli local governments analysing them along principles of critical discourse analysis (Fairclough, 2010). Further, seeking to elicit the justification work, the authors added some guidelines from the discourse interaction approach. Findings The findings identified administrators' justification work as taking two major shapes. The first is an emphasis on conditionality in their in-kind support projects, which is limited in time, contingent upon co-operation and sometimes even enhancing choice for those in need. The second is the manifestation of pride anchored in the skilful budget management enabling the achievement of conditional in-kind support projects based on the effort involved. Research limitations/implications The authors did not prompt the interviewees for the proportions of specific categories, such as whether they are attending and benefitting of the in-kind support programs. This is a limitation of this study that prevented the authors from contrasting perceived achievements against the actual coverage of their projects. Practical implications It is important that government funding is increased for municipal anti-poverty policies engaging municipal administrator in the struggle for full and better coverage so that capability deprivation is combatted by a combination of cash transfer and quality social services that are universal and at the same time secure mentoring and supervision to all households in need. Social implications Future research should present the analysis that associates different budgets of each city with its anti-poverty polices and its different socio-economic ranking. Critical social-policy scholars may apply this study’s findings in future analyses of municipal administrators' powerposition as reinforced by national level policy makers, particularly when introducing controversial policies. Originality/value Anti-poverty policy and the specific combination between conditional cash transfers and in-kind support have been explained at the level of political–economic decision making. The authors conceptualize the need to explain anti-poverty policy by focussing on municipal administrators’ embedded agency, particularly around controversial issues. By building the professional self of municipal welfare administrators, inter alia by ignoring past meanings of in-kind support as depriving recipients of autonomy, conditionality is extended into in-kind services." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Emerald Group) ((en))

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Biermeier, Sandra, Elke Dony, Sabine Greger, Ute Leber, Franziska Schreyer & Karsten Strien (2023): Geförderte Weiterbildung von Beschäftigten – Hürden der Inanspruchnahme aus Sicht von Arbeitsagenturen und Betrieben. (IAB-Forschungsbericht 13/2023), Nürnberg, 45 S. DOI:10.48720/IAB.FB.2313

Abstract

"Angesichts des schnellen Wandels der Arbeitswelt und beruflicher Anforderungen werden Weiterbildung und lebenslanges Lernen immer bedeutsamer. Mit dem Qualifizierungschancengesetz, dem Arbeit-von-morgen-Gesetz sowie der Weiterbildungsförderung bei Kurzarbeit kann die Bundesagentur für Arbeit die Weiterbildung von abhängig Beschäftigten fördern. Dabei werden unter bestimmten Voraussetzungen die Lehrgangskosten übernommen und Zuschüsse zum Arbeitsentgelt während der Weiterbildungsteilnahme gezahlt. Ansprechpartner*in für die Förderung ist in erster Linie der Betrieb. Vorliegende Studien zeigen aber, dass die Weiterbildungsförderung für Beschäftigte bislang eher selten in Anspruch genommen wird. In einem qualitativen Forschungsprojekt hat das IAB daher Betriebe sowie Fach- und Führungskräfte aus dem Arbeitgeber-Service der Bundesagentur für Arbeit zu möglichen Gründen für die bislang eher verhaltene Inanspruchnahme befragt. So zeigt sich insbesondere bei kleineren und mittleren Betrieben, dass sie das Instrument der Weiterbildungsförderung oft nicht kennen. Häufig sind keine Ressourcen vorhanden, um sich intensiv mit dem Thema auseinanderzusetzen; auch mangelt es teils an ausgebauten Kontakten mit dem Arbeitgeber-Service. Eine weitere Hürde sehen Interviewte in der Komplexität des Antragsverfahrens. So scheuen manche Betriebe den (vermeintlich) hohen administrativen Aufwand. Derartige Bedenken können dadurch verstärkt werden, dass es sich bei einem Teil der Förderung um Ermessensleistungen handelt, das heißt, dass dem sicher zu erbringendem Aufwand der Antragstellung eine Leistung gegenübersteht, die in ihrer Höhe sowie Erfolgswahrscheinlichkeit oft ungewiss ist. Kritisch sehen Befragte in Betrieben wie auch im Arbeitgeber-Service darüber hinaus einen Teil der rechtlichen Fördervoraussetzungen. Eine dieser Voraussetzungen ist, dass der Umfang der Weiterbildung mehr als 120 Stunden betragen muss. Gerade bei kleinen und mittleren Betrieben kann sich dies als Hemmschuh erweisen, da der Arbeitsausfall der Beschäftigten in längerer Weiterbildung nur schwer zu kompensieren ist. Als problematisch wird teils auch die Vorgabe gesehen, dass sowohl die Weiterbildungsmaßnahme als auch deren Träger für die Förderung zertifiziert sein müssen. Die im IAB-Projekt Interviewten betonen, dass die zertifizierten Weiterbildungsangebote oftmals nicht dem tatsächlichen Bedarf entsprechen. Hinzu kommt, dass es vor allem in ländlichen Gebieten vielfach zu wenig zertifizierte Angebote gibt. Eine weitere Fördervoraussetzung ist, dass zwischen dem Abschluss einer Ausbildung, eines Studiums oder einer geförderten Weiterbildung und der (erneuten) Förderung im Regelfall mindestens vier Jahre liegen müssen. Auch diese Vorgabe wird von Interviewten als problematisch erachtet. In diesem Kontext wird unter anderem darauf verwiesen, dass in manchen Berufen bereits kurz nach der Erstausbildung oder einer geförderten Weiterbildung Anpassungsqualifizierungen notwendig werden können. Wie die Interviews weiter zeigen, war die Weiterbildungsförderung während der Covid-19-Pandemie mit besonderen Herausforderungen konfrontiert. So machten die Kontaktbeschränkungen eine Umstellung von Weiterbildungen auf digitale Formate erforderlich, was insbesondere zu Beginn der Krise eine gewisse Zeit in Anspruch nahm. Interviewte thematisieren sowohl Vor- als auch Nachteile des digitalen Lernens. Positiv beschrieben werden vor allem die größere zeitliche Flexibilität sowie die bessere Vereinbarkeit von Familie und Beruf – Gründe, weswegen aus Sicht von Befragten auch über die Pandemie hinaus an digitalen Weiterbildungsformaten festgehalten werden sollte. Eher negativ werden hingegen die begrenzten Möglichkeiten des Austausches bei digitalen Lernformaten gesehen sowie der Umstand, dass nicht alle Beschäftigten über die erforderlichen digitalen Kompetenzen sowie die notwendige technische Ausstattung verfügen. Die erweiterten Möglichkeiten, während des Bezugs von Kurzarbeitergeld Weiterbildungsförderung in Anspruch zu nehmen, werden grundsätzlich als positiv betrachtet, auch wenn Betriebe berichten, dass das Thema Weiterbildung aufgrund der pandemiebedingten Krisensituation bei ihnen von eher nachrangiger Bedeutung war. Zudem war es für Betriebe teils schwierig, eine (längere) Weiterbildungsteilnahme zu planen, da die tatsächliche Dauer des Bezugs von Kurzarbeitergeld nicht immer abzusehen war. Derzeit steht mit dem neuen Weiterbildungsgesetz, das im Dezember 2023 eingeführt werden soll, eine Reform der bestehenden Beschäftigtenförderung an. Mit dem neuen Gesetz soll insbesondere die Transparenz der Förderung erhöht und damit der Zugang zu Weiterbildungsangeboten für Betriebe beziehungsweise Beschäftigte sowie die Umsetzung für die Arbeitsagenturen erleichtert werden. Insofern werden hier einige Aspekte der bisherigen Förderung aufgegriffen, die sich auch in den geführten Interviews als problematisch erwiesen haben." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Boonjubun, Chaitawat, Garima Singh & Minna van Gerven (2023): Social Dialogue in Defence of Vulnerable Groups in Post-COVID-19 Labor Markets. EU-Level Report. (SocArXiv papers), 49 S. DOI:10.31235/osf.io/qehks

Abstract

"The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented health crisis that has caused far-reaching life consequences. The impact of COVID-19 and the measures that aimed to protect lives have triggered a social and economic crisis across the globe. This crisis calls for social scientists and researchers to study the shortcomings in social and economic preparedness and responses to the pandemic. The Social Dialogue in Defence of Vulnerable Groups in the Post-COVID-19 Labor Markets project (the DEFEN-CE project), funded by the Directorate-General for Employment, the European Commission, aims to examine institutional strategies and power relations in social protection and policymaking and policy implementation to protect labor markets and workers by analysing the governance of vulnerable groups in (post) COVID-19 labour markets as well as to produce research-based knowledge and expertise on the protection of vulnerable groups at the EU level, in the EU Member States and in the candidate countries. This report emphasises the institutional strategies and power relations among social partners and stakeholders at the EU level and highlights key findings from country case studies. The research questions are threefold. 1) What public policy and social dialogue measures targeting the selected vulnerable groups were implemented for employment and social protection during the COVID-19 pandemic 2020–2022? 2) How and to what extent did social dialogue play a role in the implementation of the social and employment rights of selected vulnerable groups in the COVID-19 pandemic between 2020 and 2022? 3) What lessons and opportunities does the COVID-19 pandemic provide for strengthening social dialogue at the EU level? DEFEN-CE employed a mixed-method approach combining both quantitative and qualitative research methods. The data are comprised of datasets, policy documents, scientific literature, existing statistical data, and semi-structured interviews. In this EU-level research, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 respondents: representatives from the European Parliament, trade unions, non-governmental organisations, and a European federation organisation representing domestic employers. It is important to note that the research team invited representatives from the European Commission to participate in the interviews but received no reply. (See the list of respondents in the appendices). DEFEN-CE’s EU-level study aimed to contribute to social dialogue research and the theoretical understanding of vulnerability. Relevant concepts and approaches to deepen our understanding of vulnerability are employed as the foundation for identifying ‘vulnerable groups’ in connection to the labor market. Furthermore, the purpose of this study is to identify the lessons learned by pinpointing crucial areas of policy development and implementation and necessary coordination mechanisms among social partners and by showcasing best practices." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Brülle, Jan (2023): No one-size-fits-all solution. Effects of social policies on in-work poverty across household types. (SocArXiv papers), 22 S. DOI:10.31235/osf.io/4qynt

Abstract

"The paper studies effects of social policies on in-work poverty risks, distinguishing between measures that either intervene in labour market processes -- i.e. predistribution policies -- or redistribute incomes towards those with low incomes. I argue that effects of different policies can be expected to vary across household contexts, due to the fact that the link between individual employment outcomes and in-work poverty is moderated by household type. The analyses uses data from EU-SILC and macro-level indicators from various sources to estimate general as well as household-type-specific effects using longitudinal methods. Results emphasize that labour market interventions and redistributive transfers impact in-work poverty risks through different mechanisms and also reveal important differences between specific policies: minimum wages contribute to reducing low-wage risks, whereas effects on in-work poverty are small and mainly restricted to single households where labour market outcomes and household income closely align. In contrast, there is a robust negative effect of strict employment protection legislation across almost all household types on in-work poverty, which is consistent with the positive role this measure plays for supporting higher earnings. With respect to redistributional policies, both unemployment benefits and benefits to low earners reduce poverty due to their contribution to public poverty-reduction. However, whereas unemployment benefits mainly reduce in-work poverty among couple households, benefits to low earners are the most effective measure to contribute to lower poverty risks among employed single parents." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bähr, Holger (2023): Interaktion im Schatten der Hierarchie: Zwang und Zusammenarbeit in Jobcentern. In: Zeitschrift für Sozialreform, Jg. 69, H. 3, S. 167-191., 2023-05-10. DOI:10.1515/zsr-2023-0004

Abstract

"Die Beratung und Vermittlung in Jobcentern erfolgt als Interaktion von Vermittlungsfachkräften und Arbeitsuchenden. Sie verfolgt das Ziel, Arbeitsuchende in eine Erwerbsarbeit zu bringen und dadurch ihre Hilfebedürftigkeit zu beenden. Sowohl Zwang als auch Zusammenarbeit kennzeichnen die Interaktion. Dieser Beitrag beleuchtet das Verhältnis von Zwang und Zusammenarbeit in der Beratung und Vermittlung, das Gegenstand sowohl politischer Diskussionen als auch wissenschaftlicher Studien ist. Hierfür wird der Ansatz des akteurzentrierten Institutionalismus verwandt mit seiner analytischen Trennung von institutionellem Kontext, Akteurkonstellation und Interaktionsform. Es wird gezeigt, dass die Akteurkonstellation eine besondere Relevanz für das Verhältnis von Zwang und Zusammenarbeit besitzt und für die Beratung und Vermittlung eine Konstellation charakteristisch ist, die als Selbstkoordination im Schatten der Hierarchie beschrieben werden kann." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku, © De Gruyter)

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Cefalo, Ruggero & Rosario Scandurra (2023): What, for whom, and under what circumstances: Do activation policies increase youth employment in the EU? In: Journal of European Social Policy, Jg. 33, H. 4, S. 391-406. DOI:10.1177/09589287231199568

Abstract

"Activation measures have assumed a prominent role within policy perspectives aimed at increasing labour market participation to support welfare sustainability. Most comparative studies on active labour market policies (ALMPs) have been conducted at the national level, although several scholars recently stressed the need to consider more carefully the territorial dimension of social policies. This article addresses this research gap by providing quantitative estimates of the territorial effect of national ALMPs provision on youth employment in European regions. We find that regional contextual traits, which can present a variety of configurations, play a significant role in moderating the effects of ALMPs. Divergent outcomes per type and level of education also highlight the complexity of the landscape for ALMPs' design and implementation. Our analysis helps identify the institutional and contextual conditions that require evaluation when designing and implementing policies targeting young people." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Chanfreau, Jenny (2023): The Persistence in Gendering: Work-Family Policy in Britain since Beveridge. In: Journal of Social Policy, Jg. 52, S. 981-998. DOI:10.1017/S0047279422000125

Abstract

"Understanding the historical policy pathways that have led to the constellation of policies that both reflect and shape the current gender order can reveal reasons for the persistence of gender inequality in paid work and unpaid family care. Bringing together existing research and policy critique with Carol Bacchi’s framework of policy as ‘gendering practices’, this paper focuses on the role of policy as a process that constructs and upholds an unequal gender order. The discussion traces how UK social policies have since the establishment of the post-war welfare state articulated and positioned gendered possibilities for combining paid work and childrearing, shaping gendered and classed work-family life courses. The analysis illustrates that British social policy has not been consistently committed to a more equal gender regime but instead maintained a heteronormative family ideal and thus, despite various policy changes, the gendering of ‘the worker’ and ‘the parent’ as conceptualised in UK policy has persisted over the last several decades." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))