Is there a rationale to contact the unemployed right from the start? Evidence from a natural field experiment

Bert Van Landeghem, Frank Cörvers and Andries de Grip

Labour Economics, 2017, vol. 45, issue C, 158-168

Abstract: Active Labour Market Policies (ALMPs) often exclusively target towards the long-term unemployed. Although it might be more efficient to intervene earlier in order to prevent long-term unemployment rather than to cure it, the climate of austerity in Eurozone countries is spreading a tendency to further reduce the basic counselling for those who become unemployed. This study investigates the impact on employment chances of a relatively light and inexpensive intervention. In a field experiment in a public employment office in Flanders, a random selection of clients were invited for a mandatory information session in the first month of the unemployment spell, while the control group were invited after four months of unemployment. Although the average intention-to-treat effect we find is not significant, the early intervention appears to be very beneficial for those with low education.

Keywords: Active Labour Market Policies; Unemployment; Natural field experiment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D04 D61 J64 J68 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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Working Paper: Is There a Rationale to Contact the Unemployed Right from the Start? Evidence from a Natural Field Experiment (2016)
Working Paper: Is There a Rationale to Contact the Unemployed Right from the Start? Evidence from a Natural Field Experiment (2016)
Working Paper: Is there a rationale to contact the unemployed right from the start? Evidence from a natural field experiment (2016)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:labeco:v:45:y:2017:i:c:p:158-168

DOI: 10.1016/j.labeco.2016.11.009

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