Mandatory integration agreements for unemployed job seekers: a randomized controlled field experiment in Germany

Gerard J. van den Berg (gerard.vandenberg@bristol.ac.uk), Barbara Hofmann, Gesine Stephan and Arne Uhlendorff
Additional contact information
Gerard J. van den Berg: IFAU - Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy, Postal: Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy, P O Box 513, SE-751 20 Uppsala, Sweden
Barbara Hofmann: FEA Nuremberg, Postal: FEA Nuremberg

No 2021:4, Working Paper Series from IFAU - Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy

Abstract: Integration Agreement (IA) are contracts between the employment agency and the unemployed, nudging the latter to comply with rules on search behavior. We designed and implemented an RCT involving thousands of newly unemployed workers, randomizing at the individual level both the timing of the IA and whether it is announced in advance. Administrative registers provide outcomes. Novel theoretical and methodological analyses provide tools to detect anticipation and suggest estimation by individual baseline employability. A small positive effect on entering employment is driven by individuals with adverse prospects. For them, early IA increase re-employment within a year from 45% to 53%.

Keywords: unemployment; monitoring; job search; active labor market policy; nudge; anticipation; randomized controlled trial (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C93 J64 J68 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 53 pages
Date: 2021-03-25
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-eur, nep-exp and nep-lab
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Related works:
Journal Article: MANDATORY INTEGRATION AGREEMENTS FOR UNEMPLOYED JOB SEEKERS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED FIELD EXPERIMENT IN GERMANY (2025)
Working Paper: MANDATORY INTEGRATION AGREEMENTS FOR UNEMPLOYED JOB SEEKERS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED FIELD EXPERIMENT IN GERMANY (2024)
Working Paper: Mandatory Integration Agreements for Unemployed Job Seekers: A Randomized Controlled Field Experiment in Germany (2021)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hhs:ifauwp:2021_004

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