Pathways to Employment for the Long-term Unemployed

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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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.

Detailed Description
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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.

Official Title
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Pathways to the Labor Market for Long-term Unemployed: a Comparison of Labor Market Interventions Effects Mechanisms and Implementation

Conditions
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Unemployment

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Active labor market intervention


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Unemployed for a period of at least 6 months, and 25 years old or younger, or born outside of Sweden, or 55 years old or older without higher education, or has a disability (physical, intellectual, neuropsychiatric, or mental) and receives social insurance benefits, or receives social welfare benefits Exclusion Criteria: referred for services primarily by the Department of Justice

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years
Maximum Age: 65 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Municipal<br>Individual participants receiving active labor market intervention from municipal providers | Behavioral: Active labor market intervention<br>* Behavior change intervention<br>|
| Non-profit<br>Individual participants receiving active labor market intervention from non-profit providers | Behavioral: Active labor market intervention<br>* Behavior change intervention<br>|
| Register<br>Matched sample from register data, no intervention provided | |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Change in employment and earnings | Employment and earnings data collected from official register data | baseline, 6 months post baseline | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Change in general health | Self report on the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) | baseline, 6 months post baseline | 
| Change in resilience | Self report on the Resilience Scale (RS-14) | baseline, 6 months post baseline | 
| Change in perceived employment obstacles | Self-report on the Perceived Employment Barriers Scale (PEBS-20) | baseline, 6 months post baseline | 
| Change in perceived employment hope | Self-report on the Employment Hope Scale (EHS-14) | baseline, 6 months post baseline | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Adolescent, Disabled Persons, Immigrants