Abstract

With the establishment of the new Social Code II in January 1, 2005, the paradigm of “promoting and demanding” was strengthened in labour market policy in Germany. Integral parts of this paradigm are sanctions. For clients younger than 25 years this law provides tougher sanctions. Furthermore young clients are more often affected by those sanctions compared to clients that are 25 years or older. 

The research project is exploratively orientated and aims at building up a knowledge base on unemployment benefit II sanctions against clients younger than 25 years. On the one hand experts in Social Code II agencies are interviewed about their practice and experiences with sanctions. On the other hand we conduct biographical-narrative interviews with jobless young benefit II recipients who are affected by sanctions. Their education and life courses, their wishes for the future and their views on the sanctions as well as the consequences on their social situation are examined.