Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

Using an extensive programme of monitoring, quantitative research and qualitative studies, this research aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Job Seeker's Allowance, which replaced Unemployment Benefit and Income Support for unemployed people on 7 October 1996. The quantitative component was based on a 'before and after' design which involved conducting survey interviews with two nationally representative samples of 5000 unemployed people. One sample was drawn before the implementation of Job Seeker's Allowance, the other afterwards. Each sample was divided into two parts (cohorts), a sample of people who had been unemployed for less than two weeks and a second comprised of people who had been unemployed for longer. This meant that the experience and behaviour of the newly unemployed could be compared and contrasted with that of people who had been out of work for longer. In each case two waves of interviews were conducted, separated by an interval of six months, making it possible to establish the economic status of respondents approximately six months after they were first interviewed and to assess any changes in their attitudes and behaviour. Whenever jobseekers had partners, they were also interviewed. The pre- and post-Job Seeker's Allowance samples were drawn at the same time of year, so that seasonal influences on labour market demand and unemployment were likely to be similar.

Main Topics:

The Wave One main questionnaire aimed to cover the following issues: work history, benefit history, nature and intensity of jobsearch activity, knowledge of the unemployment-related benefits system, dealings with the Employment Service and other Agencies, attitudes towards work and benefits, reasoning behind labour market decisions, personal and household characteristics. The structure of the Wave Two questionnaire (which was administered around six months after the Wave One interview) depended on the situation of the respondent. It began by updating the respondent's work and benefit history since Wave One. Those who were still claiming unemployment-related benefit(s) were asked about: experiences of working/studying whilst claiming (if relevant), types of jobs sought (or reasons for not seeking a job) and pay requirements/hours prepared to work etc, nature and intensity of jobsearch activity, knowledge of the unemployment-related benefits system, experience of ES schemes and dealings with the ES, personal and household characteristics (if changed since Wave One).

See Technical Report for details of sampling procedures.

Face-to-face interview