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Do Caseworker Meetings Prevent Unemployment? Evidence from a Field Experiment

Author

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  • Homrighausen, Pia

    (Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF))

  • Oberfichtner, Michael

    (Institute for Employment Research (IAB), Nuremberg)

Abstract

Caseworker meetings have been shown to accelerate exit from unemployment. We explore whether they are also effectual before entering unemployment. In a natural field experiment, we offer caseworker meetings to workers at risk of losing their jobs while they are still employed. We find that the offer induces additional meetings and substantially shifts the first meeting forward but has no effect on entry into unemployment or on labour market outcomes within one year. The intervention does not alter jobseekers' search behaviour, which likely explains its inefficacy.

Suggested Citation

  • Homrighausen, Pia & Oberfichtner, Michael, 2024. "Do Caseworker Meetings Prevent Unemployment? Evidence from a Field Experiment," IZA Discussion Papers 16923, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp16923
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Amelie Schiprowski, 2020. "The Role of Caseworkers in Unemployment Insurance: Evidence from Unplanned Absences," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 38(4), pages 1189-1225.
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    3. David Card & Jochen Kluve & Andrea Weber, 2018. "What Works? A Meta Analysis of Recent Active Labor Market Program Evaluations," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 16(3), pages 894-931.
    4. van den Berg, Gerard J. & Kunaschk, Max & Lang, Julia & Stephan, Gesine & Uhlendorff, Arne, 2023. "Predicting Re-Employment: Machine Learning versus Assessments by Unemployed Workers and by Their Caseworkers," IZA Discussion Papers 16426, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. Marcus Eliason & Donald Storrie, 2009. "Does Job Loss Shorten Life?," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 44(2).
    6. Daniel Fackler & Steffen Mueller & Jens Stegmaier, 2021. "Explaining Wage Losses After Job Displacement: Employer Size and Lost Firm Wage Premiums," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 19(5), pages 2695-2736.
    7. Sheena McConnell & Peter Z. Schochet & Dana Rotz & Ken Fortson & Paul Burkander & Annalisa Mastri, 2021. "The Effects of Employment Counseling on Labor Market Outcomes for Adults and Dislocated Workers: Evidence from a Nationally Representative Experiment," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 40(4), pages 1249-1287, September.
    8. Guglielmo Briscese & Giulio Zanella & Veronica Quinn, 2022. "Providing Government Assistance Online: A Field Experiment with the Unemployed," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 41(2), pages 579-602, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Kyyrä, Tomi & Verho, Jouko, 2025. "Do Financial Incentives for Training and Caseworker Meetings Enhance Re-employment?," Working Papers 175, VATT Institute for Economic Research.
    2. Thomas Le Barbanchon & Johannes F. Schmieder & Andrea Weber, 2024. "Job Search, Unemployment Insurance, and Active Labor Market Policies," NBER Working Papers 32720, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. van den Berg, Gerard J. & Stephan, Gesine & Uhlendorff, Arne, 2025. "Do Early Active Labor Market Policies Improve Outcomes of Not-Yet-Unemployed Workers? Findings from a Randomized Field Experiment," IZA Discussion Papers 17612, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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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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