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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, S. 1-21. 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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Belot, Michèle, Philipp Kircher & Paul Muller (2025): Do the Long-Term Unemployed Benefit from Automated Occupational Advice during Online Job Search? In: The Economic Journal, S. 1-34. 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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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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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. 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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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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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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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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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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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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Schneider, Stephanie, Maria Theiss, Wojciech Gędek & Ulrike Zschache (2025): Citizen among Institutions. Fragmentation and Trust in Social Assistance. In: Social Policy and Society, S. 1-17. 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, 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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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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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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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)