"his study explores the importance of financial incentives for the labour market integration of minimum income recipients compared to other factors, via three distinct strands of analysis: Benefit adequacy and work incentives: The study examines the potential trade-off in the design of minimum income schemes between ensuring adequate income support and providing sufficient incentive for recipients to look for employment. To do so, it calculates for each EU Member State the “participation tax rate” (PTR), which measures the net income lost by someone moving from receiving minimum income benefits into work relative to the income gained. It then assesses the actual importance of high PTRs on work incentives by analysing the empirical evidence available. Gradual phasing out of benefits: The study examines how minimum income schemes make use of tapering to ensure a financial incentive for recipients to take up (more) work. To do so, it takes inventory of the tapering arrangements currently applicable in Member States and examines how these are implemented. It also identifies recent reforms to tapering mechanisms, case studies on six recent reforms, and uses these to reflect on their impact. Active labour market policies for minimum income recipients: The study examines the use of active labour market policies and what types of policy may be most effective in enabling transition for minimum income benefit recipients. To do so, it performs a quantitative analysis of the data from the EU Labour Market Policy database and a qualitative analysis of evaluations of programmes co-funded by the European Social Fund. In both cases long-term unemployed were used as a proxy for minimum income benefit recipients."

Support: Digital

ISBN (PDF) : 978-9268002773