The shortest route to the labour market

Through qualitative interviews with social workers and leaders in six local authorities, this report sheds light on the initiatives for the most disadvantaged unemployed individuals. The local authorities support the increased legislative focus on finding jobs for those who are not ready for the labour market, and the labour market perspective is clear in their objectives. However, the most disadvantaged unemployed individuals also have other problems such as abuse and social problems, so the route to a job can be long.
There are large differences in how the job focus is put into practice in specific initiatives in the various local authorities. The authors reveal three main models:
•The requirement model in which the labour market perspective is translated into 'disciplinary tools', i.e. sanctions dominate in initiatives for the unemployed.
•The step model in which the labour market perspective is translated into a number of steps that are to gradually lead the unemployed closer to the labour market.
•The experimental model in which the initiative is managed not so much by a particular logic but more by tailoring to suit the individual.