Quick start

This report evaluates the effect of a study with early and intensive employment training in the former AF job centre regions of Storstrøm and Southern Jutland. More than 5000 insured recently unemployed people took part in the trial. They were divided into two groups. One group was given the usual employment training. The other group, which had more intensive training, took part in a two-week briefing and job search programme after five or six weeks of unemployment, contact interviews every week or alternate weeks and welfare-to-work training for a minimum of three months after four months of unemployment.
The unemployed who received more intensive training obtained jobs faster. This applied for all the groups of unemployed, but the effect was especially large for graduates. Apparently, many strong unemployed people quickly found jobs to avoid participating in the intensive training activities. However, weaker unemployed people seemed to get a jump start from the briefing and job search programme and the frequent contact interviews.
The intensive training increases the scope of employment to the extent that the amount saved in unemployment and other benefits is much larger than the extra cost of the employment training paid by the public sector.