Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

The Restart counselling programme was started in mid-1986 with the aim of helping the long-term unemployed to get back into work. The survey was organised to assess the programme, once sufficient time had elapsed for it to have become established. The aims of the survey were to describe and measure the impact of Restart on its clients, on the operation of the labour market and the institutions of the labour market, and to describe how Restart was achieving changes. A key point of the survey design was a random control sample, that is people eligible for a Restart counselling interview on reaching six months of claimant unemployment, who were not invited for interview.

Main Topics:

The key topics covered by this study were work history; job search behaviour; employment details (hours, wages, occupation, industry etc.); training programmes; educational and vocational qualifications; attitudes to unemployment; reactions to Restart interviews.

One-stage stratified or systematic random sample

within outcome categories recorded by the Employment Service

Face-to-face interview

Telephone interview

Postal survey

Self-completion