The "everyday angels" of WiesbadenTemporary work in household-oriented services as a labour market policy instrument in the German Social Code

From January 2006 to April 2008 the city of Wiesbaden conducted the labour market project entitled "The 'everyday angels' - temporary work in household-oriented services" in cooperation with the personnel services company Randstad Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG. The participants - the original goal was to included a total of 200 for a period of two years - were chosen by the local employment office of Wiesbaden and by Randstad from mostly long-term, able-bodied unemployed that had fallen into the care of the city since the beginning of 2005 within the framework of the basic protection for job seekers according to the German Social Code, Book II (basic security benefits for jobseekers). The goal of the project was to increase the permanent employment chances for the programme's participants. By providing the customers with the "everyday angels" at market-based, hourly rates, the city of Wiesbaden also saw in this project a way to reduce illicit work, which is widespread in household services. The city of Wiesbaden and Randstad commissioned the Ifo Institute before the beginning of the venture to carrying out an evaluation of the "everyday angel" project. Because of insufficient data, however, an analysis of whether the project led to labour market success of the participants could not be carried out. But it was determined that the target group of this programme had a surprisingly high rate of transfer into other employment. In addition, the employability of the participants - even those who did not immediately succeed in finding regular jobs - was enhanced by participation in the programme.