Arbeitsuchend, aber noch nicht arbeitslos: Die Wirkung früher Gesprächsangebote durch die Agenturen für Arbeit

"In Germany, people whose apprenticeship training or employment is ending are generally required to register as job seekers three months in advance. This obligation is intended to expedite their placement by the employment agencies, thus avoiding or reducing the duration of unemployment. A crucial part of this process is the initial meeting between the employment agencies’ caseworkers and the job seeker. Based on a randomized model project, we investigated how offering an early initial meeting before the end of employment affects the employment outcomes of participating job seekers. In the model project, individuals registering as job seekers at least one month before the end of their job were randomly assigned to one of two groups. Those in the group ”early meeting” were given an appointment for an initial meeting as soon as possible after registering as job seekers. Individuals in the group ”late meeting” were offered a meeting close to the expected end of their employment. The results of the model project indicate that individuals in the group ”early meeting” had initial meetings with the employment agency earlier and had more meetings in total. However, when comparing entries into unemployment, durations in unemployment, durations in employment, and income between the two groups, no significant differences emerge. These findings–more meetings but no distinct differences in employment outcomes–were consistent across various socio-economic groups. The study cannot provide definitive explanations for why there were no effects on employment outcomes. Additional analyses suggest two possible reasons: First, a significant portion of the additional meetings accrued to individuals who did not lose their jobs. Second, an online survey did not indicate higher job search activities among individuals in the ”early meeting offer” group. Given that the additional meetings initiated by the agencies did not improve labor market outcomes, pursuing early initial meetings with all job seekers may not be an efficient allocation of resources. However, this finding does not rule out that early meetings could have positive effects for some groups of job seekers, for instance those who actively request such meetings." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))