Using Behavioral Interventions to Improve Take-Up of a Reemployment Program Interim Project Brief
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About the Brief
The brief presents initial findings on the effects of an intervention designed to encourage Unemployment Insurance (UI) claimants to participate in their state’s Reemployment and Eligibility Assessment (REA) pilot program and persist in their job search. For the study, selected Michigan Works! agencies and the W.E. Upjohn Institute partnered with the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) Behavioral Interventions (DOL-BI) team to test the effectiveness of a series of seven email messages that supplemented an initial call-in letter to UI claimants from the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA).
The messages incorporated insights from behavioral science and were designed to overcome barriers that may keep people from participating in the REA program and using reemployment services. The study began in March 2015. The new emails were sent to 357 individuals who had valid email addresses and had been called in for mandatory REA services. Another group of 374 claimants received no messages other than the UIA’s call-in letter. The effects of the new messages were measured using program and administrative data collected over seven months. This brief reports on how the new messages and the overall study were designed, and presents initial findings about the messages’ effect on REA participation and program completion.
Key Takeaways
- UI claimants who were sent email messages were more likely to start the REA program by scheduling their first session.
- UI claimants who received email messages were also more likely to complete the REA program.
- Once individuals attended their first REA session, they were equally likely to complete the program regardless of whether they had received emails or not.
Citation
Darling, M., O’Leary, C., Perez‐Johnson, I., Lefkowitz, J., Kline, K., Damerow, B., Eberts, R. (2016). Mathematica. Encouragement Emails Increase Participation in Reemployment Services. DOL Behavioral Interventions Project Brief. Chief Evaluation Office, U.S. Department of Labor.
The Department of Labor’s (DOL) Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) sponsors independent evaluations and research, primarily conducted by external, third-party contractors in accordance with the Department of Labor Evaluation Policy and CEO’s research development process.