ILO briefs on Employment Services and ALMPs: Issue no. 1

Public employment services: Joined-up services for people facing labour market disadvantage

This technical note shows how public employment services (PES) are going beyond traditional ways of working, moving towards joined-up services to help people facing complex barriers to employment in finding work and building skills, with the aim of achieving more sustainable outcomes. The note explores the meaning of “joined-up services” and presents selected country case studies that offer insights from experience to policy-makers, practitioners and others interested in developing services to maximize the level of support available to disadvantaged jobseekers.

Slow growth in employment and economic activity is having disproportionately frequent and severe effects on people already facing disadvantage. People in vulnerable situations are more likely to have a weaker attachment to the labour market and fewer chances of re-employment. The available evidence on what policy approaches are effective in improving employment outcomes for disadvantaged groups shows the importance of tackling barriers to employment in parallel to those in education, health and housing.
This technical note shows how public employment services (PES) are going beyond traditional ways of working, moving towards joined-up services to help people facing complex barriers to employment in finding work and building skills, with the aim of achieving more sustainable positive outcomes. The note explores the meaning of “joined-up services” and presents selected country case studies that offer insights from experience to policy-makers, practitioners and others interested in developing services to maximize the level of support available to disadvantaged jobseekers.