Transitions from Long-Term Unemployment to Employment

Abstract

As labour market research has shown, social networks heavily impact the likelihood of gaining employment. In Germany, factors such as low qualifications, illness, age over 50, immigrant background, language deficits, and care obligations, particularly when combined, hinder job transitions and induce long-term unemployment. Nevertheless, some long-term unemployed individuals can secure jobs and forgo social benefits, seemingly against all odds. To investigate the transition-to-work process and its relationship with information, network compositions, and individual agency, we conducted a qualitative survey supplemented by problem-centred biographical interviews, employing software-based network tools. The results revealed that adopting a process-oriented approach was crucial for understanding the utilization of networks to address long-term unemployment. To encourage future network approaches in investigating labour market transitions, three key aspects appear valuable. First, the development of individual agency within stable living conditions, the contribution of alteri within the network, and information transfer for labour market orientation, including factors contributing to translating information, motivation, and orientation into employment activities. This three-step analysis moves beyond traditional approaches examining factors such as network density and the frequency of interactions or simply distinguishing strong from weak ties, by emphasising relational diachronic perspectives and respecting individual life course trajectories.