Reciprocity and the interaction between the unemployed and the caseworker
Year: 2024
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: We investigate how negatively reciprocal traits of unemployed individuals interact with “sticks” policies that impose constraints on individual job search effort, in the context of the German welfare system. For this we merge survey data of long-term unemployed individuals, containing indicators of reciprocity, to a unique set of register data on all unemployed coached by the same team of caseworkers and treatments they receive. We find that the combination of a higher negative reciprocity and a stricter regime has a negative interaction effect on search effort exerted by the unemployed. The results are stronger for males than for females. Stricter regimes may drive long-term unemployed males with certain types of social preferences further away from the labor market.
Authors: Gerard J. van den Berg, Iris Kesternich, Gerrit Müller, Bettina M. Siflinger
Institutions: University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, IZA - Institute of Labor Economics, Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy, Centre for Economic Policy Research, Universität Hamburg, KU Leuven, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt und Berufsforschung, Tilburg University
Language: English
Subfield: Safety Research
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $2,770
OpenAlex ID: W4288002065