Abstract

Since February 2006, self-employed persons have had the opportunity to voluntarily insure themselves against unemployment. This should provide better social security for start-ups. One reason for the comparatively low take-up rate could be a lack of knowledge about the insurance option. The project conducts a randomized controlled trial to investigate whether the targeted provision of information to potential policyholders increases the take-up rate and, if so, whether this has an impact on labor market biographies. To this end, an information brochure on voluntary unemployment insurance was sent to around 33,000 randomly selected subsidized foundesrs between February 2016 and August 2017. Subsidized founders who did not receive a brochure were used as a the control group. An initial telephone survey was conducted 20 months after the start of start-up support; the central topic was whether the self-employment still existed at the time of the survey and how the start-up had developed. In the process data from the Federal Employment Agency, it can also be seen in the longer term whether these former founders are later employed subject to social security contributions, unemployed or receiving benefits. However, it is not clear from the process data how sustainable the start-up was and how the founded company has developed. This information is to be obtained in 2024 via a follow-up survey of the supported start-ups.