Action to Reduce Worklessness: What Works?

Addressing local concentrations of worklessness is an ongoing challenge for policy at national, regional and local levels. The paper outlines the changing nature of worklessness, the rationale for supply-side and demand-side interventions to address it and the balance between people- and place-based policies. It discusses the issues involved in assessing the contribution of interventions to reduce worklessness and highlights key lessons emerging from a review of the evidence on ‘what works’. While no single model of successful intervention is identified, the importance of outreach, holistic approaches, individualisation and the position of personal advisers, continuing support, flexibility, motivation and aspirations, partnership working and the role of employers is highlighted.