What is the value added by caseworkers?

This paper examines the efficacy of caseworkers in allocating individuals to government programs and to services within those programs. We investigate caseworker allocation of unemployed individuals to subprograms within Swiss active labour market policy in 1998. Our analysis compares the caseworker...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inLabour economics Vol. 14; no. 2; pp. 135 - 151
Main Authors Lechner, Michael, Smith, Jeffrey
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Elsevier B.V 01.04.2007
Elsevier
SeriesLabour Economics
Subjects
Active Labour Market Policy
Caseworkers
Statistical Profiling
Statistical Treatment Rule
Targeting
Active Labour Market Policy
Targeting
Statistical Profiling
H00
J68
Caseworkers
Statistical Treatment Rule
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Summary:This paper examines the efficacy of caseworkers in allocating individuals to government programs and to services within those programs. We investigate caseworker allocation of unemployed individuals to subprograms within Swiss active labour market policy in 1998. Our analysis compares the caseworker allocation to alternatives including random assignment to services and allocation via statistical treatment rules based on observable participant characteristics. Using unusually informative administrative data, we find that Swiss caseworkers obtain roughly the same post-program employment rate as random allocation to services, while statistical treatment rules, even when subject to capacity constraints, do substantially better.
ISSN:0927-5371
1879-1034
DOI:10.1016/j.labeco.2004.12.002