Evaluating What Works for Whom in Active Labour Market Policies

Abstract

In order to make informed and legitimate decisions in labour market policies, European and national policy makers need better knowledge of what type of interventions works for whom. The European Commission and many Member States have high hopes that ‘experimental evaluation’ techniques (such as randomised controlled experiments, systematic meta-analysis and econometric outcome evaluations) will deliver solid and clear evidence to inform the development of more rational decision-making processes. This article reviews the evaluation literature on Active Labour Market Policy (ALMP) and examines what works for whom, under what circumstances. It assesses the strengths and weaknesses of the current drive towards ‘experimental evaluation’ and proposes an integrated framework for ALMP evaluation that combines ‘experimental evaluation’ with ‘programme theory evaluations' and quantitative with qualitative data collection.

Integration of Refugees on the Danish Labor Market

“…The other programs in the meta-analysis of Butschek and Walter (2014) yielded mostly insignificant results. This finding is supported by a similar finding in the general ALMP literature showing that wage subsidies in the private sector are the most efficient type of ALMP, but that other types of programs (such as in-house programs, job search assistance, and training programs) are more frequently used (Bredgaard 2015).…”

Street-level practice and the co-production of third sector-led employability services

“…Such challenges around value-for-money matter, because policymakers will only prioritise co-production in employability if we can evidence that it delivers transitions to work. We acknowledge that the broader evidence base on employability is inconclusive -'what works' in terms of the governance and content of services depends on labour market context and user characteristics (Bredgaard, 2015). However, whatever the limitations of this programme and our research, there appear to be lessons, if policymakers are interested in coproduction as a model for future service delivery.…”

Impact of Active Labour Market Policy Programs on Employment in the EU During the Crisis

“…function separately, but only in combination with other policies and programs under different structural and economic conditions. Being so, the results are difficult to measure in the short term (Bredgaard, 2015). Assessments based on microdata show that the effects of the ALMP on employability do not appear or they are small in the short term.…”

“…Besides, there are few recent macroeconomics studies that analysed the effects of ALMP programs, except the research of Escudero (2018). In his research, Bredgaard (2015) even argues that a database that would support research on how ALMP programs actually work is not yet available. Despite the data accessibility hindrance, a number of researchers studied the impact of ALMP on employment or unemployment rate in the time periods from 1985 until 2008 (Kluve & Weber, 2009;Kluve, 2010;Heckman et al, 1999;Kluve and Schmidt, 2002;Kluve et al, 2002;Card et al, 2010, Nie andStruby, 2011;Laporšek and Dolenc, 2011;Boone and van Ours, 2004;Estevão, 2003;Estevão, 2007).…”