"This paper provides an overview of the sequential shift towards activating labour market and social policy in Germany. It not only shows the changes in the instruments of active and passives labour market policies but also analyzes the implications of this change for the political economy, the...

"From a social policy perspective, single parents - for the most part single mothers - are an important target group. Being solely in charge of both providing for the family's livelihood as well as parental care, the extent to which they can be gainfully employed is often restricted. Their...

"In 2003, Germany moved from a system in which participants in training programs for the unemployed are assigned by caseworkers to an allocation system using vouchers. Based on the rich administrative data for all vouchers and on actual program participation, we provide inverse probability...

"A major unemployment and welfare benefit reform took place in Germany in 2005. One objective of this reform was to more strongly encourage an adult worker model of the family, with an emphasis on activating the formerly inactive. Our hypothesis is, however, that assignments to activation...

"The pilot project 'Berliner Joboffensive' (BJO) aimed at increasing the number of labor market integrations of individuals receiving means-tested unemployment benefits II (also known as Hartz IV) by intensified counseling and assistance. To this end, the caseload of 650 caseworkers in twelve...

"This report presents results from a qualitative study on the implementation of a startup subsidy for unemployed welfare recipients (the so-called 'Einstiegsgeld'). Our central findings are: - After the introduction of Einstiegsgeld in 2005 the inflow into the start-up subsidy reached an early...

"The pilot programme 'PRIMUS' ('Integrate, encourage, strengthen strengths') implemented by the Jobcenter Saarbrücken tested a new counselling and support approach for jobseekers eligible for basic security assistance benefits, aged 25 to 48, who had been long-term recipients and were...

"A considerable number of people, particularly the older unemployed, exhibit a variety of barriers to placement. Integrating them into employment constitutes a challenge for labor market policy. The current research report presents the results of a program aimed at older persons receiving...

"The German workfare programme 'One-Euro-Jobs' can be used for different goals. On the one hand, they aim at improving employment prospects of long-term jobless welfare recipients. On the other hand, they can also be used to test the willingness to work of welfare recipients. Based on data from...

"The increasing life expectancy coming along with a birth deficit is expected to lead to an increasing demand for elderly care in Germany in the future. In Germany, private home care, often provided by family members, is given primacy over institutional care. At the same time, a labour market...