Pathways to Employment for the Long-term Unemployed

Unemployment Clinical Trial

Official title:

Pathways to the Labor Market for Long-term Unemployed: a Comparison of Labor Market Interventions Effects Mechanisms and Implementation

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Not yet recruiting

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT04247932
• Other study ID #: 2018-01324
• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Start date: September 1, 2020
• Est. completion date: December 2021

Study information

• Verified date: July 2020
• Source: Göteborg University
• Contact: Tina M Olsson, PhD
• Phone: +46 31 786 1011
• Email: tina.olsson[@]socwork.gu.se
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Observational

Clinical Trial Summary

This project's aims are twofold (1) to uncover and define the underlying theories of change guiding competing active labor market programs (ALMP) in Sweden, and (2) to assess the relative effectiveness of these competing programs in a theory-based non-randomized controlled trial. The purpose is to assess the extent to which competing ALMPs are effective in moving long-term unemployed individuals (i.e. unemployed for 6 months or more) closer to the labor-market.

Description:

Long-term unemployment has a profound impact on the health and wellbeing of individuals, families, and communities. In addition, the effects of long-term unemployment have been found to impact subgroups differently. Today there is scant knowledge on the mechanisms that are influential in moving individuals from long-term unemployment closer to the labor market. This study is designed to answer six research questions using a variety of methods (mixed-methods) and outcome measures (self-report, official register). In addition, this study leverages official register data to construct an untreated control group. This study will assess the extent to which an emerging theory of becoming job ready holds under experimental scrutiny.

This project will engage ALMP program administrators and service providers in semi-structured interviews. A total of 6 competing ALMPs will be included in the study. The transcribed interview material will be used as a basis for program theory reconstruction. All specified program theories will be presented back to program stakeholders for validation. ALMP program effectiveness will be assessed quasi-experimentally with pre- (T1) and posttest (T2) collection of self-reported data. Additionally, official register data from the Longitudinal integrated database for health insurance and labor market studies (LISA) will be collected for all participants. In addition, a matched sample will be collected from LISA to be used as a non-treated control group on final policy outcomes (e.g., employment, salary/wage). This study also assesses program implementation and economic outcomes of competing the competing ALMPs.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Enrollment: 200
• Est. completion date: December 2021
• Est. primary completion date: June 2021
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years to 65 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Unemployed for a period of at least 6 months, and

• 25 years old or younger, or

• born outside of Sweden, or

• 55 years old or older without higher education, or

• has a disability (physical, intellectual, neuropsychiatric, or mental) and

• receives social insurance benefits, or

• receives social welfare benefits

Exclusion Criteria:

• referred for services primarily by the Department of Justice

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Unemployment

Intervention

Behavioral:
• Active labor market intervention
Behavior change intervention

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
n/a

Sponsors (2)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Göteborg University	Swedish research council for health, working life and welfare

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Change in employment and earnings	Employment and earnings data collected from official register data	baseline, 6 months post baseline
Secondary	Change in general health	Self report on the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12)	baseline, 6 months post baseline
Secondary	Change in resilience	Self report on the Resilience Scale (RS-14)	baseline, 6 months post baseline
Secondary	Change in perceived employment obstacles	Self-report on the Perceived Employment Barriers Scale (PEBS-20)	baseline, 6 months post baseline
Secondary	Change in perceived employment hope	Self-report on the Employment Hope Scale (EHS-14)	baseline, 6 months post baseline