IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/clr/wugarc/y2024v50i2p89.html

Active labour market policy during the Covid-19 pandemic: Latent effects on Austrian jobseekers

Author

Listed:
  • Julian Kettl
  • Bich Diem Thy Nguyen
  • Christian Grünhaus

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic induced an unprecedented shock to the Austrian labour market. Austria responded by implementing active labour market policies (ALMP) to facilitate the reintegration of individuals abruptly rendered unemployed. This article assesses the effects of a job search assistance and training programme on jobseekers within this context by utilizing a panel survey among participants. Drawing on Marie Jahoda‘s theory of latent deprivation, we examine how participation in the programme alleviates the adverse effects of unemployment. The results reveal significant improvements in professional competencies after participating in the programme. Participants reported marked reductions in psychological stress and overstrain. Finding work during the programme resulted in enhanced material living conditions and improved health outcomes.

Suggested Citation

  • Julian Kettl & Bich Diem Thy Nguyen & Christian Grünhaus, 2024. "Active labour market policy during the Covid-19 pandemic: Latent effects on Austrian jobseekers," Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft - WuG, Kammer für Arbeiter und Angestellte für Wien, Abteilung Wirtschaftswissenschaft und Statistik, vol. 50(2), pages 89-116.
    • Handle: RePEc:clr:wugarc:y:2024v:50i:2p:89
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://emedien.arbeiterkammer.at/viewer/pdf/AC08890876_2024_2/wug_2024_50_2_0089.pdf
    File Function: PDF-file of article
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bruno Crépon & Gerard J. van den Berg, 2016. "Active Labor Market Policies," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 8(1), pages 521-546, October.
    2. Day Manoli & Ankur Patel, 2019. "Long-Term Treatment Effects of Job Search Assistance and Training: A Summary of Recent Evidence," AEA Papers and Proceedings, American Economic Association, vol. 109, pages 340-343, May.
    3. Helmut Hofer & Andrea Weber, 2006. "Active Labor Market Policy in Austria: Practice and Evaluation Results," Vierteljahrshefte zur Wirtschaftsforschung / Quarterly Journal of Economic Research, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research, vol. 75(3), pages 155-167.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Omar Al-Ubaydli & John A. List, 2019. "How natural field experiments have enhanced our understanding of unemployment," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 3(1), pages 33-39, January.
    2. André Dumas Tsambou & Lionie Mafang & Thierno Malick Diallo & Benjamin Fomba Kamga, 2024. "Impact of job training program on employment outcomes in Senegal," SN Business & Economics, Springer, vol. 4(8), pages 1-33, August.
    3. Santoni Edoardo & Patriarca Fabrizio & Scarlato Margherita, 2025. "The Effects of Hiring Credits on Firms’ Dynamics: A Synthetic Difference-in-Differences Evaluation," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 25(4), pages 1121-1181.
    4. Bergemann, Annette & Pohlan, Laura & Uhlendorff, Arne, 2017. "The impact of participation in job creation schemes in turbulent times," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 182-201.
    5. Anna Aizer & Shari Eli & Adriana Lleras-Muney & Keyoung Lee, 2020. "Do Youth Employment Programs Work? Evidence from the New Deal," NBER Working Papers 27103, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Michael C Knaus, 2022. "Double machine learning-based programme evaluation under unconfoundedness [Econometric methods for program evaluation]," The Econometrics Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 25(3), pages 602-627.
    7. Jonathan M.V. Davis & Sara B. Heller, 2020. "Rethinking the Benefits of Youth Employment Programs: The Heterogeneous Effects of Summer Jobs," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 102(4), pages 664-677, October.
    8. van den Berg, Gerard J. & Kesternich, Iris & Müller, Gerrit & Siflinger, Bettina M., 2024. "Reciprocity and the interaction between the unemployed and the caseworker," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 227(C).
    9. Duryea, Suzanne & Millán-Quijano, Jaime & Morrison, Judith & Oviedo, Yanira, 2025. "Measuring racial bias in employment services in Colombia," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    10. Monika Mühlböck & Nadia Steiber & Bernhard Kittel, 2022. "Learning to keep the faith? Further education and perceived employability among young unemployed," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 43(2), pages 705-725, May.
    11. Sam Desiere & Bart Cockx, 2021. "How Effective Are Hiring Subsidies to Reduce Long-Term Unemployment among Prime-Aged Jobseekers? Evidence from Belgium," CESifo Working Paper Series 9325, CESifo.
    12. Analia Schlosser & Yannay Shanan, 2025. "Fostering Soft Skills in Active Labor Market Programs: Evidence from a Large-Scale RCT," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 60(1), pages 1-36.
    13. Karol Madoń & Iga Magda & Marta Palczyńska & Mateusz Smoter, 2024. "What Works for Whom? Youth Labour Market Policy in Poland," Gospodarka Narodowa. The Polish Journal of Economics, Warsaw School of Economics, issue 2, pages 1-34.
    14. Gabrikova Barbora & Svabova Lucia, 2022. "Allowance for Self-Employed Gainful Activity in Slovakia: A Closer look into the Factors Involved," Folia Oeconomica Stetinensia, Sciendo, vol. 22(2), pages 55-77, December.
    15. Peter Huber & Gerhard Streicher & Georg Böhs, 2018. "Evaluierung des Paktes für Arbeit und Qualifizierung für Oberösterreich," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 66774, October.
    16. David McKenzie, 2017. "How Effective Are Active Labor Market Policies in Developing Countries? A Critical Review of Recent Evidence," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank, vol. 32(2), pages 127-154.
    17. Maurice Girgis & Raouf S Hanna & Shaikha Al-Fulaij, 2022. "Do Wage Subsidies to Nationals Enhance Their Employability? New Evidence from Kuwait," Asian Social Science, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 18(11), pages 1-17, November.
    18. Peter Mayerhofer & Julia Bachtrögler-Unger & Matthias Firgo & Oliver Fritz & Michael Klien & Philipp Piribauer & Gerhard Streicher, 2020. "Kurzanalyse ausgewählter Fördermaßnahmen Wiens in der COVID-19-Krise. Eine erste qualitative Einschätzung," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 66811, October.
    19. Goulas, Eleftherios & Zervoyianni, Athina, 2018. "Active labour-market policies and output growth: Is there a causal relationship?," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 1-14.
    20. Michael C. Knaus & Michael Lechner & Anthony Strittmatter, 2022. "Heterogeneous Employment Effects of Job Search Programs: A Machine Learning Approach," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 57(2), pages 597-636.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:clr:wugarc:y:2024v:50i:2p:89. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sepp Zuckerstaetter (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/awakwat.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.