Two reports and a series of videos on long-term unemployment are being published today, marking the end of a 2-year mutual learning project on the subject.

A report on job crafting, a report on Active Labour Market policies and a set of videos are being released today. They explore how policymakers can help the long-term unemployed find and stay in employment. These materials are the result of a two-year mutual learning project on long-term unemployment developed by the European Social Fund (ESF) Transnational Platform.

Three years on from adoption of the Council Recommendation on integration of the long-term unemployed, individualised support for those out of work for extended periods has become the norm across the EU, as revealed in the recent Commission evaluation. Yet those facing multiple barriers to entering the labour market, such as persons with disabilities, still need more targeted and intensive support. 

Report on job crafting

The new report on job carving and job crafting shows that for these strategies to work, strong partnerships with employers are vital. Job carving and job crafting are strategies which match the needs of companies with those of the individual. Job carving consultants liaise with employers and jobseekers to rearrange work tasks, creating tailor-made jobs that people with reduced work capacities can take on.

It is a win-win scenario, as employers increase efficiency by using the skills of employees to their best advantage, and the jobseeker is able to enter and stay in a job that fits their abilities.

Report on Active Labour Market Policies

A new report on Active Labour Market Policies explores how to measure 'soft outcomes' in order to make ALMPs more effective for jobseekers facing multiple obstacles to employment. Active Labour Market Policies are activities that can increase a person’s skills and their employability.

The effectiveness of ALMPs has traditionally been evaluated in terms of the number of ‘hard outcomes’. that is, whether the person moved into employment or gained a qualification after participating in the ALMP. But for the long-term unemployed, for whom more complex and long-term support might be necessary, such ‘hard outcomes’ are not always directly achievable.

There is growing interest, therefore, in measuring the 'soft outcomes' of ALMP participation. For some, gaining confidence or developing interpersonal skills are significant outcomes, representing transitional stages on the way to achieving the ‘hard outcome’ of employment.