Print

The SJSA program provided unemployment insurance (UI) recipients with guidance to assist them in finding a new job at an early point after entering the UI system.

Skip to:  Effectiveness Ratings   |  Studies of this Intervention

The SJSA program provided unemployment insurance (UI) recipients with guidance to assist them in finding a new job at an early point after entering the UI system.

Six to seven weeks into unemployment, participants were required to report to a job service orientation session. After the orientation, they were tested for aptitude and interests in a one-on-one assessment and participated in a 15-hour job search workshop. Participants were required to have at least two additional contacts with staff after these initial activities to report on their job search progress. On average, participants completed the program about two months after they began receiving UI benefits.

A two-stage screening process identified UI claimants who were permanently separated from their previous job and then selected individuals who were most likely to exhaust their UI benefits (using a model that considered the local unemployment rate, job tenure, education, occupation, and industry). In addition to fulfilling the usual requirements for UI, individuals in this program were required to complete SJSA to continue receiving their full UI benefits.

The SJSA program was implemented in Washington, DC, and in multiple UI offices in Florida. The SJSA program was in the same evaluation as two similar programs for UI claimants: the Individualized Job Search Assistance program (IJSA) and the IJSA with Training program.

Year evaluation began: 1995
Implementing organization(s): Local UI offices oversaw service provision by local job service agencies.
Populations and employment barriers:
Intervention services: Case management, Work readiness activities, Job search assistance
Setting(s): Tested in multiple settings

Effectiveness Rating and Effect By Outcome Domain

Back to top
View Table Help Need more context or definitions for the Outcome Domain table below? View the "Table Help" to get more insight into terms, measures, and definitions.

Scroll to the right to view the rest of the table columns

Outcome domain Term Effectiveness rating Effect in 2018 dollars and percentages Effect in standard deviations Sample size
Increase earnings Short-term Supported favorable $607 per year 0.03 10036
Long-term Supported favorable $251 per year 0.01 8655
Very long-term No evidence to assess support
Increase employment Short-term Not supported favorable 1% (in percentage points) 0.02 10036
Long-term Not supported favorable 0% (in percentage points) 0.01 8655
Very long-term No evidence to assess support
Decrease benefit receipt Short-term Not supported favorable $-3 per year 0.00 0
Long-term Little evidence to assess support 0
Very long-term No evidence to assess support
Increase education and training All measurement periods No evidence to assess support
* This intervention was assessed as supported for this domain, meaning it achieved one or more statistically significant, favorable effects. However, the intervention has an average effect size that is unfavorable because the average includes all effects in this domain - both statistically significant and favorable effects and statistically insignificant but unfavorable effects.

Effectiveness rating key:

  • Well-supported Well-supported   
  • Supported  Supported   
  • Not supported  Not supported   
  • Mixed support  Mixed support   
  • Insufficient evidence  Insufficient evidence   
  • No evidence  No evidence
Effectiveness rating terms?

Studies of this Intervention

Back to top
Study Quality Rating Study Counts per Rating
High High 2