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Can Welfare Conditionality Combat High School Dropout?

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Listed:
  • Hernaes, Øystein

    (Ragnar Frisch Centre for Economic Research)

  • Markussen, Simen

    (Ragnar Frisch Centre for Economic Research)

  • Røed, Knut

    (Ragnar Frisch Centre for Economic Research)

Abstract

Based on administrative data, we analyze empirically the effects of stricter conditionality for social assistance receipt on welfare dependency and high school completion rates among Norwegian youths. Our evaluation strategy exploits a geographically differentiated implementation of conditionality. The causal effects are identified on the basis of larger-than-expected within-municipality changes in outcomes that not only coincide with the local timing of conditionality implementation, but do so in a way that correlates with individual ex ante predicted probabilities of becoming a social assistance claimant. We find that stricter conditionality significantly reduces welfare claims and increases high school completion rates.

Suggested Citation

  • Hernaes, Øystein & Markussen, Simen & Røed, Knut, 2016. "Can Welfare Conditionality Combat High School Dropout?," IZA Discussion Papers 9644, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp9644
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    Cited by:

    1. Emile Cammeraat & Egbert Jongen & Pierre Koning, 2022. "Preventing NEETs during the Great Recession: the effects of mandatory activation programs for young welfare recipients," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 62(2), pages 749-777, February.
    2. Hernæs, Øystein M., 2020. "Distributional effects of welfare reform for young adults: An unconditional quantile regression approach," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    3. Cockx, B. & Declercq, Koen & Dejemeppe, Muriel, 2022. "Losing prospective entitlement to unemployment benefits. Impact on educational attainment," ROA Research Memorandum 003, Maastricht University, Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market (ROA).
    4. Bernt Bratsberg & Øystein Hernæs & Simen Markussen & Oddbjørn Raaum & Knut Røed, 2019. "Welfare Activation and Youth Crime," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 101(4), pages 561-574, October.
    5. Hernæs, Øystein & Markussen, Simen & Røed, Knut, 2017. "Can welfare conditionality combat high school dropout?," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 144-156.
    6. Schreiner, Ragnhild C., 2019. "Unemployed or Disabled? Disability Screening and Labor Market Outcomes of Youths," Memorandum 5/2019, Oslo University, Department of Economics.
    7. Espen S. Dahl & Øystein Hernaes, 2023. "Making activation for young welfare recipients mandatory," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 37(1), pages 96-121, March.
    8. Cammeraat, Emile & Jongen, Egbert L. W. & Koning, Pierre, 2017. "Preventing NEETs during the Great Recession: The Effects of a Mandatory Activation Program for Young Welfare Recipients," IZA Discussion Papers 11090, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    9. Andresen, Martin Eckhoff & Løkken, Sturla Andreas, 2020. "The Final straw: High school dropout for marginal students," MPRA Paper 106265, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    social assistance; activation; conditionality; welfare reform; school dropout;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H55 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Social Security and Public Pensions
    • I29 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Other
    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs
    • J18 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Public Policy

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