Danish active labor market policy, under the headline of flexicurity, has received international attention due to its claimed ability to curb unemployment while boosting employment. A strong belief in the positive effects of activation, in policy as well as practice, has had consequences for all client types, including those who are far from labor market participation due to social, mental, physical, or other problems. We analyze the application of active labor market policy measures used to support clients with substantial problems besides unemployment. This study utilizes Danish register data that encompass all people residing in Denmark. Using sequence analyses combined with qualitative data, the authors conclude that the intensive use of active measures does not correspond to lower awarded disability pensions. In fact, the analysis suggests that the intensive use of active measures may in some respects have negative consequences. Hence, future research should further explore the implications of different patterns of timing of active labor market measures for clients as well as for social service providers.

The volunteer programme 'Night Ravens' (NR) was founded in Sweden in 1987 and has, over the years, developed into a Scandinavian concept covering large areas of Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Greenland and the Faroe Islands. The NR programme is a crime prevention initiative with adults walking the streets at night in identifiable 'uniforms' in areas with high activity. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of the NR programme in Denmark based on a volunteer set-up with a less intrusive approach to situational crime prevention than, for instance, hot spot policing. The analyses are based on a longitudinal data set containing socio-demographic information on all 585 postcode districts in Denmark and quarterly records of six different categories of reported crimes in the years 2001-2010.We apply a differencein-difference design and compare development in crime rates in districts with NR organizations to districts without NR organizations. The results show no difference in the crime rates between Danish postcode districts with and without the NR programme. Hence, we cannot identify positive effects of situational crime prevention when evaluating this Scandinavian volunteer programme with a more informal guardianship.

The NEET concept has become standard vocabulary when addressing youth disengagement. Across countries, the definition is used to measure young adults at risk of social exclusion. Using sequence and clustering analyses on unique Danish register data, this article presents a longitudinal study of the temporal developments of NEET occurrences. This enables a critical assessment of the quality of the NEET concept as a proxy for measuring young adults at risk of social exclusion. The article demonstrates how four out of five young adults labelled NEET cannot be characterized as being at risk of social exclusion. Using quantitative analyses, the results confirm the criticism of the NEET concept in some of the qualitative literature and find that there is a need to discuss the applicability of the concept nationally to define who is at risk, as well as in cross-national comparisons of young adults not in employment, education or training.

Purpose -This paper aims to present new research on family-supported immigrant women. Throughout the period 1994-2005, around 11 percent of immigrant women aged 25-66 from non-Western countries in Denmark were family-supported.Design/methodology/approach -The study applies a mixed methods approach integrating register-based quantitative analysis with qualitative analysis of interview material.Findings -The paper finds that family-supported immigrant women in Denmark can roughly be divided into two sub-groups. One group of women from the former Eastern bloc who have arrived recently, who have a relatively high-level of education and who often have a Danish husband; and another group of women from more typical ''guest worker'' countries, who have a lower level of education and who often have a husband with the same ethnic origin. A second finding is that for some women, being family-supported is a permanent rather that a temporary state. Third, the paper finds that family-supported women have a variety of motivating factors pulling them towards a working life, but they experience barriers for employment and education such as non-recognition of qualifications obtained outside of Denmark and a high demand for Danish linguistic skills.Practical implications -The practical implications of the research are numerous. One implication is that qualifications depreciate when not used. Being fixed in a job where one's skills are not utilized violates future employment opportunities. The marginal position of these women on the labor market makes them vulnerable, not least in times of recession.Originality/value -Little research has previously been done about this group of women, even though the size of the group is not negligible.

This paper uses Danish population-based administrative registers to study contemporary school-to-work transitions among young adults who experience long-term NEET episodes between age 16 and 20. By applying sequence analysis and clustering, this paper identifies five distinct transition patterns. Using this typology as the outcome variable in multinomial regression the paper offers insight into how experiences and circumstances, developing until age 16, can affect the subsequently unfolding transition process. Finally, the paper looks ahead and describes whether transitional difficulty accumulates into early adulthood. While one transition pattern stands out as more stable and less worrying, three of the remaining four demonstrate how transitional difficulty between age 16 and 20 develops as precarious patterns of attachment to well-established systems within the Danish welfare state. It is further established that various childhood risk factors significantly increase the odds of experiencing precarious transition patterns. Finally, the analyses demonstrate how instability and risk during childhood and school-to-work transition extend into early adulthood for a large part of the study population.