A main objective of active labour market policies is to improve employment prospects and to reduce the unemployment risks of individuals. At the same time, the question whether the considerable funds devoted to these policies have been used effectively is gaining more and more attention in Germany.

The Research Department primarily conducts micro-level evaluation studies of active labour market programmes. The results of these studies should contribute to achieve further improvements in programme utilization and implementation. The research interests of the Department mainly concern the following questions: Are active labour market policy programmes effective, and do they have a causal effect on for instance the employment prospects of participants? Which groups of persons are selected or select themselves into programmes? Does the institutional framework have a significant impact on labour market structures and transitions? In particular, the unit analyses wage subsidies, training programmes and the various different placement services offered by private service providers.