TY  - RPRT
        AU  - Nielsen, Søren Albeck
AU  - Rosholm, Michael
        TI  - Knockin’ on Employment’s Door: The Power of Caseworker Beliefs on Job and Health Outcomes for the Long-Term Unemployed
        PY  - 2025/Jun/
        PB  - Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)
        CY  - Bonn
        T2  - IZA Discussion Paper
        IS  - 17970
        UR  - https://www.iza.org/publications/dp17970
        AB  - This study examines the impact of caseworker beliefs on employment and health outcomes among long-term unemployed social assistance recipients in Denmark. Exploiting as-if random caseworker assignment, an instrumental variables approach, and a novel measure of "Caseworker Job Orientation", we estimate the effects of caseworkers’ job beliefs regarding their clients. Results indicate that clients assigned to caseworkers with stronger innate job beliefs experience substantial improvements in employment rates, earnings, and educational enrollment. Additionally, positive effects on health are observed, particularly among clients with pre-existing health conditions. These findings underscore the role of caseworker attitudes in shaping client trajectories, offering policy insights into
enhancing labor market re-entry strategies.
        KW  - health outcomes
KW  - employment outcomes
KW  - long-term unemployment
KW  - caseworker beliefs
KW  - social assistance
        ER  -