And Then There Were Four: How Many and Which Measures of Active Labour Market Policy Do We Still Need?

Working Paper: CEPR ID: DP6246

Authors: Werner Eichhorst; Klaus F. Zimmermann

Abstract: Through the Hartz reforms, German active labour market policy was fundamentally restructured and has since been systematically evaluated. This paper reviews the recent evaluation findings and draws some conclusions for the future setup of active labour market policies in Germany. It argues in favour of a reduced range of active labour market policy schemes focusing on programs with proven positive effects (that are wage subsidies, training, start-up grants and placement vouchers) and calls for a systematic evaluation of all instruments not scrutinized so far.

Keywords: Active Labour Market Policy; Evaluation; Germany

JEL Codes: D61; H43; J68


Causal Claims Network Graph

Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.


Causal Claims

CauseEffect
wage subsidies (J38)deadweight loss (H21)
active labor market policies (J48)employment outcomes (J68)
placement vouchers (I22)employment outcomes (J68)
sponsored further training programs (M53)employment opportunities (J68)

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