Path-analyses estimating re-employment effects of close and comprehensive follow-up of welfare recipients. A cluster-randomized study.

Recent development within activation policies emphasize a tailor-made and individualized follow-up of welfare recipients. There is, however, a lack of knowledge related to the effects of these programmes. The aim of this study... [ view full abstract ]

Recent development within activation policies emphasize a tailor-made and individualized follow-up of welfare recipients. There is, however, a lack of knowledge related to the effects of these programmes. The aim of this study is to identify and estimate the importance of mediating variables in explaining the re-employment effects of a close and comprehensive follow-up model developed and implemented by the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration. In order to analyse employment patterns for welfare recipients, this study applies path-analyses on cluster-randomized data. The data consists of T1-T2 questionnaires and a T3-T5 follow-up based on administrative data (N=617) for welfare recipients from the offices that were randomized to experimental (9) and control group (9). The results show positive re-employment effects of comprehensive follow-up, nevertheless path-analyses demonstrate the mediating role of mental health as well as the complexity related to the estimation of longer-term re-employment outcomes.