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Unemployed and Their Caseworkers: Should They Be Friends or Foes?

Author

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  • Behncke, Stefanie

    (Swiss National Bank)

  • Frölich, Markus

    (University of Mannheim)

  • Lechner, Michael

    (University of St. Gallen)

Abstract

In many countries, caseworkers in a public employment office have the dual roles of counselling and monitoring unemployed persons. These roles often conflict with each other leading to important caseworker heterogeneity: Some consider providing services to their clients and satisfying their demands as their primary task. Others may however pursue their strategies even against the will of the unemployed person. They may assign job assignments and labour market programmes without consent of the unemployed person. Based on a very detailed linked jobseeker-caseworker dataset, we investigate the effects of caseworkers' cooperativeness on the employment probabilities of their clients. Modified statistical matching methods reveal that caseworkers who place less emphasis on a cooperative and harmonic relationship with their clients increase their employment chances in the short and medium term.

Suggested Citation

  • Behncke, Stefanie & Frölich, Markus & Lechner, Michael, 2007. "Unemployed and Their Caseworkers: Should They Be Friends or Foes?," IZA Discussion Papers 3149, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp3149
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    statistical matching methods; public employment services; unemployment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J68 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Public Policy
    • C31 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Cross-Sectional Models; Spatial Models; Treatment Effect Models; Quantile Regressions; Social Interaction Models

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