General employment assistance
Research examining standard employment assistance programmes.
These research reports and documents have been released as part of a programme of work to develop a research archive and improve access to historic research previously not released by the Ministry. We will potentially be adding to this page over time.
Cost-effectiveness of MSD employment assistance: summary report for 2012/2013 financial year
2014 | ISBN 978-0-9951240-4-2
This evaluation report provides an overview of the Ministry’s evidence on the effectiveness of its employment assistance expenditure. The report covers employment assistance provided in the 2012/2013 financial year and evaluated to May/June 2014.
Cost-effectiveness of Work and Income employment assistance
2012 | ISBN 978-0-9951241-0-3
This report gives a high-level overview of the impact and cost-effectiveness of employment assistance provided by MSD. This report is for the 2010/2011 financial year and updates previous MSD work on the performance of employment assistance to include programme participants between 2000 and 2010.
Total expenditure on Work and Income employment assistance was approximately $266 million for the 2010/2011 financial year. Of this expenditure, 57 percent, or $152 million of assistance, was assessed.
Impact of the job search service on client benefit outcomes: update report
2010 | ISBN 978-0-9951241-9-26
This report presents the findings of the Job Search Service’s impact on benefit receipt from September 2006, when the Job Search Service was rolled out, to the June 2009 quarter.
These findings supersede the interim findings reported in 2008. Job Search Service and Work for You reduced the number of people on a benefit, but only during periods of labour demand.
Impact of the job search service on client benefit outcomes: update report: technical annex
This report presents the technical information for the evaluation of the impact of the Job Search Service’s impact on benefit receipt from September 2006.
Can ‘work-for-the-dole’ programmes increase employment outcomes?
2010 | ISBN 978-0-9951244-6-2
This briefing note examines the impact of whether work-for-the dole programmes increase employment outcomes for participants. Evidence suggests that they do not increase participants' chances of moving off a benefit and into employment.
What are the substitution and displacement effects of employment programmes?
2010 | ISBN 978-0-9951242-1-9
This 2010 fact sheet summarises what we know about substitution and displacement effects of employment programmes and what can be done to minimise them as both can offset any benefits of a programme for participants.
It found that these effects can be minimised by: keeping hiring wage subsidies on a small to medium scale; linking the subsidy level to the labour market disadvantage of participants; and closely monitoring employer use of hiring subsidies.
Barriers to employment and interventions that may help clients into employment
2012 | ISBN 978-0-9951240-7-3
The brief outlines barriers to employment and explores interventions that may help jobseekers, sole parents, supported living and youth clients into work.
Products and services to move people into work
2013 | ISBN 978-0-9951242-9-5
This brief uses international evidence to examine the impact different employment programmes and services have on participants' employment outcomes. It found that interventions need to be well designed and implemented to be effective.
However, contextual factors affect the impact that programmes have on employment programmes. Across OECD countries there has been a greater use of conditionality and financial incentives and a move towards more personalised support services.
