"Eingliederung von Langzeitarbeitslosen" im SGB II: Effekte auf soziale Teilhabe bestehen über das Förderende hinaus

Abstract

"The research report analyzes the effects of participation in the measure "Integration of the Long-Term Unemployed" (EvL) (Article 16e Social Code II) on social participation. The EvL policy is aimed at employable welfare recipients who have been unemployed for at least two years. The aim of the measure is to enable long-term unemployed people to sustainably improve their social participation by integrating them into employment subject to social insurance contributions. Employers who take on long-term unemployed SGB II recipients are reimbursed 75 percent of the wage costs in the first year and 50 percent in the second year. The subsidized employment relationships must be based on a collective labour agreement or minimum wage. Throughout their employment, participants are supposed to receive support from a job coach who assists in stabilizing both their professional and personal circumstances. There are no obligations on the part of the employer regarding subsequent employment after the end of the state support measure. The analysis is based on data from the first three waves of the "Quality of Life and Participation" panel study (2020–2023). The social participation of the EvL participants was measured using four dimensions: life satisfaction, satisfaction with health, satisfaction with standard of living, and general sense of social belonging. Matching methods were used to determine the influence of participation in the EvL measure on social participation. The participants in the measure were compared with a comparable control group—so-called statistical twins—who did not take part in the measure. The effect of the measure was then estimated based on the differences in the four dimensions of social participation between the participants and the control group. On average, the participants are 47 years old, and around 61 percent of them are men. A large proportion of the people receiving support live alone: around 65 percent of participants are single without a partner or children in the household. In addition, almost 40 percent of participants have serious pre-existing health conditions. On average, participants had worked for less than half of the last five years before starting the support, which highlights their difficult starting position in the labour market. In terms of estimating the effect of participation in the measure, there is a positive effect on all four dimensions of social participation. These effects are not only significant during the span of the measure but can also be detected one year after the end of the measure. Around 63 percent of the positive effects that were identified at the beginning of the support measure remain after the regular end date of the measure. All subgroups examined, regardless of age, gender, health status, or region, benefited from participation in the measure. Moreover, it was found that older individuals experienced a significantly greater benefit in terms of social participation approximately one year after the end of the regular funding period. A sustainable improvement in social participation is closely linked to successful integration into the labour market. The analyses in this research report show a strong correlation between the employment effects and the effects on social participation: the more program participants remain in employment after the end of the support, the more stable the positive effects on their social participation remain. This correlation between employment and social participation effects is particularly pronounced among male program participants. These results underline that long-term integration into the labour market is crucial in order to secure the positive effects of the measure on social participation in the long term. In summary, the study shows that the EvL instrument not only improves social participation in the short term but also has positive effects in the medium and long term. These sustainable positive effects are largely due to the successful and lasting integration of participants into the labor market." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Cite article

Schiele, M. (2025): "Eingliederung von Langzeitarbeitslosen" im SGB II: Effekte auf soziale Teilhabe bestehen über das Förderende hinaus. (IAB-Forschungsbericht 07/2025), Nürnberg, 20 p. DOI:10.48720/IAB.FB.2507