Demanding activation – harming outcomes? The nexus of reformed policies, social harm, and claimants’ life courses (HarmingActivation)

HarmingActivation estimates active labour market policies in terms of their life course and wellbeing outcomes across countries. 

The first work package, WP1, estimates Social security life courses across cohorts in Germany, Denmark, and Finland in relation to activation. 

WP2 studies benefit sanctions as determinants of life courses and wellbeing. So far, evidence re-mains inconclusive in terms of whether sanctioning overall supports or hinders unemployed people from integrating into decent life paths. 

WP3 examines street-level bureaucracy. It asks, whether employment services mitigate or aggravate social harm. The WP addresses how social harm is adjusted, or produced in the activation practices. Register and qualitative data are analysed by life course, growth curve, propensity score matching and qualitative content analyses. 

Overall, HarmingActivation redefines thinking of the welfare state policies and their outcomes for those who are dependent on social security.