Integration rates of basic income support recipients: declining transitions to employment before and after the Citizen’s Benefit Reform

Abstract

"Over the past four years, the integration rate of basic income support recipients who transitioned to employment has declined and has not returned to the level seen before the COVID-19 crisis. During this period, the labour market was affected not only by the COVID-19 crisis but also by the start of the war against Ukraine, a recession, and the Citizen’s Benefit Reform. This study examines how the integration rate and the quality of the jobs obtained by working-age benefit recipients - who did not come to Germany as part of the refugee migration since the mid-2010s - have evolved between 2015 and 2025. The focus is on the job-seeking status of these working-age benefit recipients." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Cite article

Fitzenberger, B., Hohmeyer, K. & Prümer, S. (2026): Integrationsquoten in der Grundsicherung: Rückläufige Übergänge in Beschäftigung vor und nach der Bürgergeldreform. (IAB-Kurzbericht 11/2026), Nürnberg, 8 p. DOI:10.48720/IAB.KB.2611