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The Post‐Reform Effectiveness of the New German Start‐Up Subsidy for the Unemployed

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  • Lutz Bellmann
  • Marco Caliendo
  • Stefan Tübbicke

Abstract

The current German start‐up subsidy for unemployed individuals underwent a major reform in 2011 that altered key parameters of the program, leading to ambiguous ex ante predictions on the post‐reform effectiveness of the program, making a new evaluation necessary. In our descriptive analysis, we find that participants after the reform differ significantly from pre‐reform participants in terms of important characteristics and subsequent labor market performance. Our causal analysis reveals positive and sizable treatment effects on the treated regarding employment and income that are larger effects than what was estimated for the pre‐reform program. Potential reasons for this are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Lutz Bellmann & Marco Caliendo & Stefan Tübbicke, 2018. "The Post‐Reform Effectiveness of the New German Start‐Up Subsidy for the Unemployed," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 32(3), pages 293-319, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:labour:v:32:y:2018:i:3:p:293-319
    DOI: 10.1111/labr.12126
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    Cited by:

    1. Caliendo, Marco & Tübbicke, Stefan, 2021. "Design and effectiveness of start-up subsidies: Evidence from a policy reform in Germany," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 333-340.
    2. Caliendo, Marco & Tübbicke, Stefan, 2019. "Do Start-Up Subsidies for the Unemployed Affect Participants' Well-Being? A Rigorous Look at (Un-)Intended Consequences of Labor Market Policies," IZA Discussion Papers 12755, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Caliendo, Marco & Künn, Steffen & Weissenberger, Martin, 2020. "Catching up or lagging behind? The long-term business and innovation potential of subsidized start-ups out of unemployment," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(10).
    4. Marco Caliendo & Stefan Tübbicke, 2020. "New evidence on long-term effects of start-up subsidies: matching estimates and their robustness," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 59(4), pages 1605-1631, October.
    5. Tobias Brändle & Lukas Fervers, 2021. "Give it Another Try: What are the Effects of a Job Creation Scheme Especially Designed for Hard-to-Place Workers?," Journal of Labor Research, Springer, vol. 42(3), pages 382-417, December.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • J68 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Public Policy
    • H43 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Project Evaluation; Social Discount Rate
    • C14 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Semiparametric and Nonparametric Methods: General
    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship

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