Struggle against Jobless Situation
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Düsseldorf, a bustling city in Germany, is taking significant strides to combat long-term unemployment among its residents. The city has been investing 2.2 million euros annually in various projects and offers aimed at integrating long-term unemployed individuals into social security-paying employment.
One of the key initiatives is the Participation Opportunities Act (Teilhabechancengesetz), which targets individuals who have received unemployment benefit II for six years or longer and are over 25 years old. This Act provides subsidies and incentives to employers while bolstering training and qualification measures.
Another notable program is Working Opportunities Plus (AghPlus), which is aimed at job seekers with multiple and significant barriers to employment. This program offers individual support to help participants gradually approach the labor market and maintain and promote their existing resources. Last year, 104 out of 217 participants completed the AghPlus program. Of these, five were placed in employment, and 21 in publicly funded employment.
The city also operates i-Punkt Work Locations, which serve as accessible local support centers offering coordinated services for job seekers facing multiple barriers, including language and social integration challenges. The new i-Punkt Work location in Garath is funded by the communal employment promotion funds.
i-Punkt Work locations offer low-threshold and sanction-free consulting to long-term unemployed individuals who cannot be placed in work for various reasons. Vocational orientation is supported on site at these work locations. In 2019, over 1,000 long-term unemployed people were advised at i-Punkt Work locations, of whom around 70% received unemployment benefit II.
The city of Düsseldorf has developed tailored projects and offers for people affected by long-term unemployment. For example, initiatives such as Working Opportunities "Work & Learn German" combine employment with German language learning to improve integration into the labor market.
City Director Burkhard Hintzsche explains that integrating long-term unemployed individuals into the labor market is a major challenge. However, the city's efforts have been fruitful, with the Düsseldorf job center having concluded 454 employment contracts with various employers by the end of December 2019.
It's important to note that the Department of Social Affairs in Düsseldorf considers regular legal changes and current developments, such as the Corona pandemic, when implementing these projects and offers. For exact details on how these programs are implemented in Düsseldorf, the best sources would be local government and employment agency websites such as the Agentur für Arbeit Düsseldorf or the City of Düsseldorf's official portal, which outline current projects, eligibility, and results.
The city of Düsseldorf currently operates five i-Punkt Work locations, with the fifth recently opened in Garath. The four existing locations are in Wersten/Holthausen, Rath/Mörsenbroich, Oberbilk/Flingern, and Eller/Hassels-Nord.
In conclusion, Düsseldorf and Germany more broadly employ multiple strategies to address long-term unemployment, typically involving integration programs, language and vocational training, social participation acts, and specialized job centers or "Work Locations" that focus on individual support and skill-building. These initiatives have shown promising results in Düsseldorf, with a significant number of long-term unemployed individuals being integrated into the labor market each year.
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