Pathways to Employment for the Long-term Unemployed
Study Details
Study Description
Brief Summary
This project's aims are twofold (1) to uncover and define the underlying theories of change guiding competing active labor market programs (ALMP) in Sweden, and (2) to assess the relative effectiveness of these competing programs in a theory-based non-randomized controlled trial. The purpose is to assess the extent to which competing ALMPs are effective in moving long-term unemployed individuals (i.e. unemployed for 6 months or more) closer to the labor-market.
| Condition or Disease | Intervention/Treatment | Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
Detailed Description
Long-term unemployment has a profound impact on the health and wellbeing of individuals, families, and communities. In addition, the effects of long-term unemployment have been found to impact subgroups differently. Today there is scant knowledge on the mechanisms that are influential in moving individuals from long-term unemployment closer to the labor market. This study is designed to answer six research questions using a variety of methods (mixed-methods) and outcome measures (self-report, official register). In addition, this study leverages official register data to construct an untreated control group. This study will assess the extent to which an emerging theory of becoming job ready holds under experimental scrutiny.
This project will engage ALMP program administrators and service providers in semi-structured interviews. A total of 6 competing ALMPs will be included in the study. The transcribed interview material will be used as a basis for program theory reconstruction. All specified program theories will be presented back to program stakeholders for validation. ALMP program effectiveness will be assessed quasi-experimentally with pre- (T1) and posttest (T2) collection of self-reported data. Additionally, official register data from the Longitudinal integrated database for health insurance and labor market studies (LISA) will be collected for all participants. In addition, a matched sample will be collected from LISA to be used as a non-treated control group on final policy outcomes (e.g., employment, salary/wage). This study also assesses program implementation and economic outcomes of competing the competing ALMPs.
Study Design
Arms and Interventions
| Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
|---|---|
| Municipal Individual participants receiving active labor market intervention from municipal providers |
Behavioral: Active labor market intervention
Behavior change intervention
|
| Non-profit Individual participants receiving active labor market intervention from non-profit providers |
Behavioral: Active labor market intervention
Behavior change intervention
|
| Register Matched sample from register data, no intervention provided |
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcome Measures
- Change in employment and earnings [baseline, 6 months post baseline]
Employment and earnings data collected from official register data
Secondary Outcome Measures
- Change in general health [baseline, 6 months post baseline]
Self report on the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12)
- Change in resilience [baseline, 6 months post baseline]
Self report on the Resilience Scale (RS-14)
- Change in perceived employment obstacles [baseline, 6 months post baseline]
Self-report on the Perceived Employment Barriers Scale (PEBS-20)
- Change in perceived employment hope [baseline, 6 months post baseline]
Self-report on the Employment Hope Scale (EHS-14)
Eligibility Criteria
Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
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Unemployed for a period of at least 6 months, and
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25 years old or younger, or
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born outside of Sweden, or
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55 years old or older without higher education, or
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has a disability (physical, intellectual, neuropsychiatric, or mental) and
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receives social insurance benefits, or
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receives social welfare benefits
Exclusion Criteria:
- referred for services primarily by the Department of Justice
Contacts and Locations
Locations
No locations specified.Sponsors and Collaborators
- Göteborg University
- Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research
Investigators
- Principal Investigator: Mikaela Starke, PhD, Department of Social Work, Gothenburg University
Study Documents (Full-Text)
None provided.More Information
Publications
None provided.- 2018-01324