Reintegration of long-term unemployed people : opportunities and risks in the career

Abstract

"This paper sets forth selected results of the longitudinally-related evaluation of the employment biographies of long-term unemployed people. The focus of attention is the event-analytical consideration of the probability of returning from unemployment back into employment, the significance of human capital investments and the significance of unemployment for the income obtained. The analyses of the employment biographies of long-term employed people show that the chance of reintegration into the labour market decreases with an increasing duration of unemployment. Whereas in the old Länder as the length of the period of unemployment increases the individual characteristics prove to be relevant influential factors and the influence of labour market conditions falls, for the new Länder it can be determined that with an increasing length of unemployment the labour market conditions exert a decisive influence on the chances of returning to working life. A conclusion that is unavoidable as a result of the event analyses concerns the point of time when reintegration measures should be started. In our view the interventions must begin even earlier for the problem groups being studied. This requires that risk factors of impending longterm unemployment are recognised very early in individual cases, and counter-measures are got underway quickly, which demands a high degree of flexibility in the approval of measures. The use of funds and measures can then not be tied to certain time periods (e.g. length of the period of unemployment). Nevertheless under unfavourable labour market conditions for some risk groups a reintegration into working life is unlikely even with timely intervention." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Cite article

Gilberg, R., Hess, D. & Schröder, H. (1999): Wiedereingliederung von Langzeitarbeitslosen. Chancen und Risiken im Erwerbsverlauf. In: Mitteilungen aus der Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung, Vol. 32, No. 3, p. 281-299.