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Robertshaw, David Keith (2024): Lost in Categorisation? Employment Subsidies – Bringing the Beneficiaries Back In. In: Journal of Social Policy, Jg. 53, S. 86-106. DOI:10.1017/S0047279422000216

Abstract

"Employment subsidies are important active labor market policy (ALMP) tools, suited to a variety of labor market challenges. This paper engages with recent ALMP categorisation debates by appraising Cronert’s (2019) recent typology of employment subsidies. It uses empirical material to assess the typology’s explanatory power and produce insights to inform further typological development. The illustrative case of the British ‘ Wage Incentive’ (2012-2014) is used to assess the typology’s analytical purchase. Cronert’s typology helpfully identifies key distinctions in the distributional profiles of employment subsidies, but further understanding of the category is impeded by the practice of defining them as demand-side interventions. The paper argues for a reappraisal of their supply-side characteristics, maintaining that the (potential) worker should be included in the analysis, and that employment subsidies’ relationship with training and job creation should be acknowledged.It proposes a redefinition of employment subsidies reflecting their real-world use, and suggests a framework for further exploring varieties of employment subsidy design from the perspective of beneficiaries." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Adamecz, Anna (2023): Longer schooling with grade retention: The effects of increasing the school leaving age on dropping out and labour market success. In: Finnish Economic Papers, Jg. 97. DOI:10.1016/j.econedurev.2023.102487

Abstract

"This paper examines the effects of increasing the compulsory school leaving age from 16 to 18 in Hungary using a difference-in-regression-discontinuities design empirical strategy. While the reform increased the length of schooling, it did not decrease the probability of dropping out of secondary school, either on average or among the most at-risk group of Roma ethnic minority students. Due to grade retentions, marginal students were older than their peers and couldn't have reached the final grade of secondary school by age 18 to earn a degree. The reform also did not affect the probability of employment, hours worked, wages and the probability of working in low-skilled occupations at ages 20 and 25. In education systems that allow grade retention, compulsory education should have the explicit goal of keeping students in school until they earn a secondary degree, rather than just until a certain age." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Assmann, Marie-Luise (2023): Personalized Support in Youth Labor Market Policy. The Role of Youth Career Agencies. Wiesbaden: Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden, 231 S.

Abstract

"In the face of increasing youth unemployment across Europe, innovative approaches to youth labor market policy are crucial. One such approach is the introduction of ‘one-stop shops’ for young people. Here, employment offices and other actors, such as youth social services, cooperate to offer young people coordinated advice from a single source. The impact of their introduction upon the young people that use them is, thus far, under-researched. This study begins to fill this gap by outlining the support approach of the German ‘youth career agencies’ that centers on gaining a more complete picture of the young person’s life situation in order to offer them a range of possible support programs. The study interrogates whether the youth career agencies do offer more personalized advice for young people during their transition to employment than classical job center teams. It argues that, if the cooperative relationships between the actors involved in the youth career agencies are of good quality, more personalized support is likely to be offered there. However, personalized support in youth career agencies is still limited by the diverse specifications and target figures demanded of job centers by the Federal Employment Agency and also influenced by the professional background of the individual caseworkers." (Publisher information, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Buck, Pia (2023): Chance vertan: Die 'Ausbildungsgarantie' als Antwort auf Ausbildungsteilhabeförderung und Hebung von Fachkräftepotenzialen? In: Berufsbildung, Jg. 77, H. 2, S. 32-35.

Abstract

"Das Ziel, berufliche Teilhabechancen "für Alle" anzubieten und auch der sich zuspitzende Fachkräfteengpass bringen u. a. den Übergangssektor und die steigende NEET-Quote in den Fokus bildungspolitischer Diskurse, in welchen in neuerer Zeit auch über eine Ausbildungsgarantie nachgedacht wird." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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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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Dahl, Espen S. & Øystein Hernæs (2023): Making activation for young welfare recipients mandatory. In: Labour, Jg. 37, H. 1, S. 96-121. DOI:10.1111/labr.12238

Abstract

"Activation policies to promote self-sufficiency among recipients of welfare and other types of benefits are becoming more common in many welfare states. We evaluate a law change in Norway making welfare receipt conditional on participation in an activation program for all welfare recipients below the age of 30. Analysing the program's staggered implementation across municipalities with several modern event study estimators, we estimate that the law change had quite precise 0-effects on benefit receipt, work and education. We also do not find any effects on the probability of being out of work or of being in employment, education or labour market programs. Qualitative evidence suggests that the zero effect may be due to the law change only impacting the participation of recipients with low expected gain from activation." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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Emmanouil, Effie, Georgios Chatzichristos, Andrew Herod & Stelios Gialis (2023): In what way a 'Guarantee for youth'? NEETs entrapped by labour market policies in the European Union. In: Journal of Youth Studies online erschienen am 16.05.2023, S. 1-20. DOI:10.1080/13676261.2023.2211943

Abstract

"Following the economic crisis of 2008/2009, the European Union developed the Youth Guarantee (YG) Action Plan to tackle youth labour market disengagement by ‘fostering employability’ and ‘removing barriers’ to employment. The current study adopts a Geographical Political Economy approach to analysing the YG's underpinnings and the conditions that differentiate its application on a regional level to explore whether – and, if so, how – the YG helps young people in the Southern EU to enter the labour market. The article introduces the first comparative, cross-regional investigation of the YG programme, targeting the NUTS-II regions of Spain and Italy. It uses mixed methods, supplementing quantitative analysis with in-depth interviews with key informants. We show that in Spanish and Italian regions the YG is closely entwined with socio-spatial inequality and labour precarity, which is reflected in the growing rates of temporary employment and inactive youth. Crucially, we conclude, such outcomes are not simply the result of the institutional/operational misapplications of the YG, as is often assumed. Rather, these misapplications are systematically reinforced by the mechanics of labour flexibilisation within a recessionary and crisis-prone environment, one whose geographical unevenness means that the YG is playing out in quite different ways in different places." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Kunze, Astrid, Marta Palczynska & Iga Magda (2023): The Employment Effects of a Wage Subsidy for the Young during an Economic Recovery. (IZA discussion paper / Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit 16196), Bonn, 49 S.

Abstract

"This study investigates the employment effects of a large-scale wage subsidy programme for the young unemployed that was introduced in 2016, during a period of recovery in the Polish economy. The focus is on the question of whether the effects differed between men and women. The study employs a large population administrative data set from the unemployment register, and exploits for identification the fact that firms were only eligible to participate in the wage subsidy programme if the newly recruited worker was below age 30 and was previously unemployed. A challenge in this research is that before 2016, standard packages of active labour market programmes for all unemployed and specific programmes for unemployed below age 30 had been in place. Exploiting the long period and broad data coverage, we estimate the differential impact of the new programme using a difference-in-discontinuities design. The main finding is that over the medium term, the new wage subsidy programme was effective for low- and middle-skilled eligible young women, but not for men. We discuss the policy implications of such programmes targeting young unemployed people." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Deutscher Bundestag. Wissenschaftliche Dienste (2023): Instrumente des SGB III und des SGB II zur Unterstützung junger Menschen bei der Integration in den Arbeitsmarkt. (Sachstand / Deutscher Bundestag, Wissenschaftliche Dienste WD 6 - 3000 - 070/23), Berlin, 30 S.

Abstract

"Die Integration junger Menschen in den Arbeitsmarkt stellt vor dem Hintergrund des demografischen Wandels und des zunehmenden Fachkräftemangels eine wichtige staatliche Aufgabe dar. Von zentraler Bedeutung sind dabei die Förderungsmaßnahmen nach dem Dritten Buch Sozialgesetzbuch - Arbeitsförderung (SGB III) und dem Zweiten Buch Sozialgesetzbuch – Bürgergeld, Grundsicherung für Arbeitsuchende (SGB II). Das SGB III sieht unter anderem Maßnahmen zur Berufsorientierung, zur Aus- und Weiterbildung sowie zur Unterstützung bei der Arbeitsplatzsuche vor. Hierbei werden junge Menschen am Übergang von der Schule ins Berufsleben gezielt gefördert, um ihre Qualifikationen und Fähigkeiten zu entwickeln und ihre Chancen auf dem Arbeitsmarkt zu verbessern. Viele dieser Leistungen stehen auch Beziehern von Leistungen der Grundsicherung für Arbeitsuchende nach dem SGB II zur Verfügung, das SGB II bietet jedoch auch eigene Maßnahmen zur Aktivierung und beruflichen Eingliederung, von denen sich einige auch speziell an junge Menschen richten. Die vorliegende Arbeit soll einen knappen Überblick über die nach dem SGB III und dem SGB II bestehenden Fördermöglichkeiten geben. Die Darstellung beschränkt sich im Wesentlichen auf die Instrumente und Leistungen, die sich explizit an junge Menschen richten." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Achatz, Juliane, Kerstin Jahn & Brigitte Schels (2022): On the non-standard routes: vocational training measures in the school-to-work transitions of lower-qualified youth in Germany. In: Journal of vocational education and training, Jg. 74, H. 2, S. 289-310., 2020-04-21. DOI:10.1080/13636820.2020.1760335

Abstract

"This study explores school-to-work transitions in Germany, aiming to achieve a richer understanding of the complexity of labour market entry trajectories while focusing on transition measures. The term transition measures refers to additional training courses that complement the regular vocational education and training system of firm-based or school-based qualification routes. The contribution of supplementary training measures to the school-to-work transitions of young adults is a controversial issue. While programmes aim to ease the transitions of low-skilled youth in the training and labour market, critics point to the risks of long-term subsidised careers or fragmented employment trajectories in subsequent years. By applying sequence analysis to administrative data of the Federal Employment Agency, individual trajectories of a cohort of school leavers with an at-most intermediate school-leaving certificate are analysed for the period 2008 to 2014. The results show a complex picture of ten distinct school-to-work transition patterns. Youth passing through transition measures tend to experience a less continuous but still purposeful transition pathway. We also identify a small number of youth experiencing at-risk trajectories characterised by a highly discontinuous transition process, which points to sustained detachment from the training and labour markets." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Albanese, Andrea, Bart Cockx & Muriel Dejemeppe (2022): Long-Term Effects of Hiring Subsidies for Unemployed Youths - Beware of Spillovers. (CESifo working paper 9972), München, 107 S.

Abstract

"We use (donut) regression discontinuity design and difference-in-differences estimators to estimate the impact of a one-shot hiring subsidy targeted at low-educated unemployed youths during the Great Recession recovery in Belgium. The subsidy increases job-finding in the private sector by 10 percentage points within one year of unemployment. Six years later, high school graduates accumulated 2.8 quarters more private employment. However, because they substitute private for public and self-employment, overall employment does not increase but is still better paid. For high school dropouts, no persistent gains emerge. Moreover, the neighboring attraction pole of Luxembourg induces a complete deadweight near the border." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Eppel, Rainer & Helmut Mahringer (2022): The Effects of More Intensive Counselling for Disadvantaged Unemployed Youth. (WIFO working papers 652), Wien, 36 S.

Abstract

"Many European countries are facing the key challenge of integrating low-skilled jobless young people into the labour market. From 2018 to 2020, the Public Employment Service (PES) in Vienna tested a new model of intensified support ("case management"). The target group consisted of young unemployed persons with low formal qualifications who were drawing on social assistance. Based on the pilot project and a propensity matching approach, we show that the increase in staff significantly increased the intensity of the counselling. It led to an increase in job proposals and active labour market programme participation, as well as sanctions in the form of benefit suspensions for failure to keep PES appointments. In line with the goal, more of the young people were encouraged to take part in training and further education instead of being quickly placed in an unskilled job. However, in the three-year follow-up period, the intensified counselling did not (yet) have a significant effect on the overall extent of integration into employment. Regarding post-unemployment job quality, we find no effects on wages at the start of a job." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Knize, Veronika, Markus Wolf, Cordula Zabel & Tamara Pongratz (2022): Aktive Arbeitsmarktpolitik für junge Erwachsene in der Grundsicherung: Die Beschäftigungswirkung unterscheidet sich je nach Instrument deutlich (Serie "Evaluation von Instrumenten der aktiven Arbeitsmarktpolitik"). In: IAB-Forum H. 15.12.2022 Nürnberg, 2022-12-12. DOI:10.48720/IAB.FOO.20221215.01

Abstract

"Arbeitslosigkeit im frühen Erwerbsleben kann sich langfristig negativ auf die Erwerbschancen im weiteren Lebensverlauf auswirken. Umso wichtiger ist es, arbeitslose junge Erwachsene bei der Verbesserung ihrer Erwerbschancen zu unterstützen, etwa mit Maßnahmen der aktiven Arbeitsmarktpolitik. Dabei haben sich insbesondere kurze betriebliche Trainingsmaßnahmen als sehr effektiv erwiesen, während Ein-Euro-Jobs die Chancen auf reguläre Beschäftigung eher schmälern als verbessern." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Mühlböck, Monika, Nadia Steiber & Bernhard Kittel (2022): Learning to keep the faith? Further education and perceived employability among young unemployed. In: Economic and Industrial Democracy, Jg. 43, H. 2, S. 705-725. DOI:10.1177/0143831X20944211

Abstract

"To keep up job search motivation and maintain re-employment chances, it is important that unemployed individuals do not stop believing in their ability to (re)gain satisfying employment. This article examines whether further education during unemployment has a positive effect on perceived employability (i.e. the subjective assessment of one?s chances to obtain the desired job), based on a panel survey of unemployed young adults in Austria. The article finds that educational activities - either on own initiative or as part of an active labor market program - indeed help to sustain or even increase perceived employability. However, only for long-term programs do the effects persist beyond the duration of the activity. This study thus identifies substantial psychological side effects of active labor market policies involving further education, which could be used to increase actual employability." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Mühlböck, Monika, Fabian Kalleitner, Nadia Steiber & Bernhard Kittel (2022): Information, reflection, and successful job search. A labor market policy experiment. In: Social Policy and Administration, Jg. 56, H. 1, S. 48-72. DOI:10.1111/spol.12754

Abstract

"Jobseekers, especially young people with little experience on the job market, face several challenges. They need to know which jobs are suited for them, where to find them, how to apply, and they need resilience in the face of repeated rejections. Previous research has shown that receiving information and reflecting on how to search for a job enhance self-efficacy and search motivation, thereby reducing the duration of unemployment spells. Following up on these results, we conducted an experiment in cooperation with the Austrian Ministry of Social Affairs which combines an “information nudge” in the form of a short video-clip with what we call “reflection nudge” in the form of an online survey. We find that a treatment combining reflection and information reduces job search duration of young unemployed people with a low level of formal education. Considering the low costs of the intervention, efficiency is very high." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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Pompili, Marco, Jochen Kluve, Jonas Jessen, Johannes Seebauer, Ginevra Gallassi, Eleonora Peruccacci & Elvina Merkaj (2022): Meta-analysis of the ESF counterfactual impact evaluations. Final Report. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 102 S. DOI:10.2767/580759

Abstract

"The study’s objective is to conduct a meta-analysis of the available ESF and YEI counterfactual impact evaluations (CIEs) implemented in the 27 Member States of the EU and the UK during the 2007-2013 and 2014-2020 programming periods. The meta-analysis aims at finding systematic evidence of the effectiveness and sustainability of ESF and YEI operations. Three ESF thematic objectives (TOs) are covered, namely TO8 (Employment), TO9 (Social inclusion), and TO10 (Education and training). Importantly, this is the first study focusing exclusively on ESF/YEI interventions. The study comprises CIEs analysing effects in terms of employment and education outcomes, while it does not cover social inclusion outcomes. The results emerging from the analysis will feed the ex-post evaluation of the 2014-2020 ESF and YEI programmes. The methodology adopted can be summarized as follows. As a first step, the evaluation team identified a set of primary studies to be coded: the initial sample of CIEs was identified relying on the reports collected in the COM evaluation library and complemented with other sources, totalling 138 potential ESF/YEI CIEs. In the coding phase, CIEs were included in the meta-database if they fulfilled the following minimum criteria: clearly distinguishable treatment and control groups in the CIE report; application of some version of a (quasi-) experimental method to account for potential selection bias and time trends; use of quantitative and objective outcome(s) to measure program effectiveness, which can be compared across a larger number of studies and settings; a clear and transparent indication of the direction of the effect. The final meta-database includes variables structured into four parts: study characteristics, intervention characteristics, variables related to the empirical analysis, and other additional variables relevant to the analysis. Of the 138 CIEs in the initial sample, 94 CIEs were eventually included in the meta-database, providing a total of 882 estimates on program effectiveness, all analysing ESF/YEI intervention impacts on participants’ employment outcomes. For these 94 evaluations, a quantitative meta-analysis was carried out. 19 CIEs, exclusively or partly analyzing education outcomes, could not be coded due to the low number of primary studies and estimates available and the heterogeneity of the outcome variables used. A narrative approach was carried out for the latter to synthesize their characteristics and findings. It is important to stress that most of the evaluations analyzed in this report are related to interventions which were implemented before 2020, thus assessing interventions which were not influenced by the pandemic. The spread of Covid-19 gave rise to several new needs and rapidly changed the socio-economic contexts of countries worldwide. For this reason, the results presented in this report and the effectiveness of the support analyzed might change in the future." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Psifidou, Irene, Nikolaos Mouratoglou, Alexandra Farazouli & Cynthia Harrison (2022): Minimising early leaving from vocational education and training in Europe. Career guidance and counselling as auxiliary levers. (CEDEFOP working paper series / European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training 2022,11), Thessaloniki, 40 S. DOI:10.2801/75320

Abstract

"Career guidance and counselling are key features of comprehensive strategies aiming to reduce early leaving from education and training. They may assist students, not only in terms of decision-making but also in managing their transitions within education and training pathways or from education to employment. Minimising the risks of either insufficient information or unrealistic expectations, career guidance and counselling may support learners in making informed decisions based on their interests, talents, and future job aspirations, as well as preventing dropout and early leaving. For those who have left education and training early, career guidance and counselling may assist them to return to, and qualify in, upper secondary education. This paper examines how national policies and practices in career guidance and counselling in EU Member States may support learners at risk and early leavers from education and training. It identifies common patterns and existing information gaps, and sets out future prospects." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Abstract

"Publication metadata ALMA (Aim-Learn-Master-Achieve) is an active inclusion initiative to empower the most vulnerable young people aged 18 to 29 who are not in education, employment or training (NEETs), by implementing a tailor-made approach to support them to find a job and integrate into society. ALMA offers these young people counselling in their home country followed by a supervised, work-related learning experience in another EU Member State, with the aim of supporting their integration into the labour market and society in their home country. ALMA is one of the European Commission initiatives for the European Year of Youth 2022, and will be a key instrument in implementing the Reinforced Youth Guarantee adopted in 2020." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Abstract

"Trans-European mobility has been at the core of EU education policy since the introduction of mobility programs in the 1980s when the Erasmus and Youth for Europe programmes were introduced (in 1987 and 1988, respectively). Under the SOCRATES, Lifelong Learning Program (particularly the Leonardo and Erasmus strands) and the Erasmus+ programs mobility has become an important tool to provide young people with an experience of studying and working abroad. Significantly, the new Erasmus+ program for the 2021-27 period will have an estimated budget of EUR 26.2 billion, almost double the amount allocated to the 2014-20 programming period, with 70% of the budget dedicated to mobility.Mobility programs have demonstrated that they can have an impact on learners’ skills and competences as well as wider skills such as level of autonomy, confidence, independence, and open mindedness. In addition, a mobility period can help learners to define their future career and life choices. The evaluation of the Erasmus+ program found that participants had a shorter transition time between education and employment.4.The research on the longer-term investment of mobility programs is in its infancy, for example, with ongoing research (at the time of writing) into the cost-benefit analysis of mobility programs in Czechia. However, mobility should be considered as a longer-term investment in individuals, particularly those from vulnerable groups as they may endure less periods of unemployment compared to their peers. Historically, existing mobility programs such as the Leonardo program and Erasmus+ programs have tried to target those with fewer opportunities as part of the focus on social inclusion, but they have not been extremely successful. The category of ‘fewer opportunities’ is extremely broad and has tended to cover young people not in employment, education or training (NEETs), unemployed and underemployed, people with disabilities and minorities. The mid-term evaluation of the Erasmus+ 2014-20 program found that just 11.5% of the total number of participants in Erasmus+ were disadvantaged young people. The evaluation stressed that the program needs to do more to reach out to more vulnerable young people" (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Andersson, Lisa & Renate Minas (2021): Reaching without outreaching: A comparative policy study of EU member states policy agenda on youth unemployment. In: International Journal of Social Welfare, Jg. 30, H. 3, S. 255-265. DOI:10.1111/ijsw.12470

Abstract

"Youth unemployment is a global issue, with supranational actors calling for policy responses, including early interventions such as outreach. This article examines how EU member states have translated the EU youth guarantee (YG) recommendation, focusing on early interventions in the form of outreach. Combining quantitative content analysis with corpus linguistics, we examined the YG implementation plans of 19 EU member states having differing institutional conditions, comparing if and how they have incorporated outreach in their policy agenda. Overall we found very little outreach in the YG-plans. In the outreach described, guidance and information on education and labour market efforts dominate, whereas social work and local level community work is largely absent. We found type of outreach to be related to institutional conditions. Our results also imply that getting member states to commit to early interventions such as outreach requires that the EU stress this issue with greater emphasis." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))