Bestand und Turnover in der Grundsicherung

Since the introduction of the unemployment benefit II system (Grundsicherung für Arbeitsuchende) in January 2005, the number of recipients has remained at a permanently high level. This suggests that a stable share of the population does not reach the socio-cultural subsistence level without social benefits. It seems that for those recipients the promises of promoting employment by labour market programmes and thus facilitating an exit out of the social security system have not been kept. This article sheds light on the "rigidities" of the system as well as on the dynamic processes which have been less noticed so far. Apart from the development of overall recipient numbers, the individual duration and recipients’ labour market activities are particularly important. A large proportion of beneficiaries has been receiving social benefits for a long period of time. Furthermore, at the individual level, the receipt of social benefits does not necessarily go hand in hand with unemployment. Many recipients change their individual status from unemployment to employment without overcoming the financial need (defined by the needs of the household), and thus continue to to receive social benefits.