TY  - RPRT
        AU  - Bolhaar, Jonneke
AU  - Ketel, Nadine
AU  - Klaauw, Bas van der
        TI  - Job-Search Periods for Welfare Applicants: Evidence from a Randomized Experiment
        PY  - 2016/Mar/
        PB  - Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)
        CY  - Bonn
        T2  - IZA Discussion Paper
        IS  - 9786
        UR  - https://www.iza.org/publications/dp9786
        AB  - This paper studies mandatory job-search periods for welfare applicants. During this period the benefits application is put on hold and the applicant is obliged to make job applications. We combine a randomized experiment with detailed administrative data to investigate the effects of imposing a job-search period. We find strong and persistent effects on the probability to collect welfare benefits. The reduced benefits are fully compensated by increased earnings from work. Furthermore, we do not find evidence of adverse consequences for the most vulnerable applicants. Our results therefore suggest that a job-search period is an effective instrument for targeting welfare-benefits applicants.
        KW  - active labor-market policies
KW  - welfare-to-work
KW  - job search
KW  - randomized experiment
        ER  -