The use of employment and social services and rehabilitation after the onset of unemployment

BACKGROUND: Even though employment and social services and rehabilitation are available to the unemployed, there is little information about their service paths after the onset of unemployment. The aim was to follow different service spells using sequence analysis among those who became unemployed. METHODS: The register-based data included all 18-59-year-old individuals living in the City of Oulu, Finland, who became unemployed in 2017 (N = 8,935). For the 12 months after the onset of unemployment, eight states were constructed: rehabilitative work activities, mental health and substance abuse services, social work, rehabilitation, work trial, labour market training (LMT), several services, and no services. We used sequence analysis and clustering to identify groups with different service paths. Sociodemographic and health-related factors and later employment were examined using multinomial regression analysis. RESULTS: We identified eight clusters: 1) no services (57%), 2) short LMT (11%), 3) several and simultaneous services (6%), 4) mental health or substance abuse services (2%), 5) work trial (10%), 6) rapid LMT (6%), 7) intermediate LMT (5%), and 8) long LMT (4%). Persons in cluster 1 had a more advantaged background. Compared to them, clusters 3 and 5 were associated with being female and cluster 7 was associated with being male. All service clusters were associated with being under 50 years old. Clusters 3-8 were associated with primary education and clusters 3, 5, and 8 also with secondary education. All service clusters were associated with no employment days before the onset of unemployment. Clusters 3-5 were associated with chronic diseases. Later employment was highest among clusters 1, 6, and 8. CONCLUSIONS: The unemployed can have very different service paths. Lower SES predicts the use of employment and social services and rehabilitation, but the paths also differ by sex and health. Duration and timing of LMT vary by sociodemographic characteristics. KEY MESSAGES: • Most of the unemployed do not use any employment or social services or rehabilitation. Those who do can have very different service paths. • Lower education predicts more frequent use of services. Paths vary by sex, age, and health.