Proposals on the design of the Social Labor Market in North Rhine-Westphalia: An assessment against the background of results of the evaluation of the Participation Opportunities Act . Statement of the IAB on the public hearing in the Committee for Labor, Health and Social Affairs at the state parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia on 2 October 2024

Abstract

"The public hearing of the North Rhine-Westphalian Parliament’s Committee on Labor, Health and Social Affairs on the 2nd October 2024 was concerned with a motion of the parliamentary group of the Social Democratic Party “The federal state government is giving up the social labor market: The promise of the coalition government must be kept”. The motion wants the North Rhine-Westphalian Parliament to ask the North Rhine-Westphalian Government to strengthen the social labor market in North Rhine-Westphalia and to endorse it. Long-term unemployed people should be provided with the possibility of participation in employment and lasting employment. For participants of the program „participation in the labor market” with severe employment impediments who after ending five years of participation in the program still cannot be integrated into work without the subsidy of the program, in concert with charities a pilot project of a follow-up-program should be implemented and evaluated. Moreover, an integrated assistance (coaching) in the social setting of the long-term unemployed people should be provided. The introduction of a placement priority through the back door should be stopped. The statement of the IAB describes key results of research on the Participation Opportunities Act that are relevant for the motion. In particular, the statement discusses key aspects on the implementation of the program “participation in the labour market” that result from interviews with job centre personnel. Next, results of analyzes of programme effects are discussed. They are concerned with effects on integration into work and social integration of program participants, but so far can only cover a period prior to the end of a maximum program participation duration of five years. Moreover, relevant research results on the coaching that takes place during participations in the program are discussed. The statement ends with conclusions on the elements of the motion of the parliamentary group of the Social Democratic Party." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Cite article

Wolff, J. (2024): Vorschläge zur Gestaltung des Sozialen Arbeitsmarkts in Nordrhein-Westfalen: Eine Einschätzung vor dem Hintergrund von Befunden der Evaluation des Teilhabechancengesetzes. Stellungnahme des IAB zur Anhörung im Ausschuss für Arbeit, Gesundheit und Soziales des Landtags Nordrhein-Westfalen am 2.10.2024. (IAB-Stellungnahme 03/2024), Nürnberg, 14 p. DOI:10.48720/IAB.SN.2403