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Do caseworker meetings prevent unemployment? Evidence from a field experiment

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  • Homrighausen, Pia
  • Oberfichtner, Michael

Abstract

Caseworker meetings have been shown to accelerate exit from unemployment. We investigate whether they are also effective before job loss. In a natural field experiment in Germany, where workers must register with the employment agency up to three months before becoming unemployed, we offer caseworker meetings to jobseekers while they are still employed. Our results indicate that offering preventive meetings does not improve jobseekers’ labour market outcomes, despite bringing forward the first meeting. The intervention increases the total number of meetings, thereby consuming scarce caseworker resources, but does not influence jobseekers’ search behaviour—likely explaining its lack of effectiveness.

Suggested Citation

  • Homrighausen, Pia & Oberfichtner, Michael, 2026. "Do caseworker meetings prevent unemployment? Evidence from a field experiment," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 183(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:eecrev:v:183:y:2026:i:c:s001429212500265x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.euroecorev.2025.105215
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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • J68 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Public Policy
    • J63 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Turnover; Vacancies; Layoffs
    • J62 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Job, Occupational and Intergenerational Mobility; Promotion

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