This report is the third in a series designed to provide statistical information on the performance of the Work Programme. It has been produced by the Employment Related Services Association (ERSA), the trade body for those organisations delivering or with an interest in employment support services.
Key findings include:
- 384,000 individuals have entered employment via the Work Programme from June 2011 to the end of June 2013. This compares to 321,000 people at end March 2013 – a 20 per cent increase overall.
- 39 per cent of those who have been on the programme for the full two years have found work – this is the first time figures have been available for Work Programme completers.
- 103,000 young people have now found at least one job on the Work Programme. Half of all young people who had been on the scheme for two years have found work. The 18-24 group remains the best performing group on the Work Programme.
- It is taking longer to help jobseekers on Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) into work, reflecting the level of barriers experienced by these jobseekers. However, the longer jobseekers on ESA are on the scheme the more likely they are to find work. Of those who have been on the programme for the longest, around 17 per cent have found employment, an increase on three months ago.
- Providers are continuing to place people into work at a faster rate than previously and performance is building year on year.