World’s first job guarantee trial ‘eliminates’ long-term unemployment

One man with 600 failed job applications over three years is now in work

Jobs given to participants in the programme include work in carpentry, renovation, gardening, elderly care, and office administration. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

A world-first trial in which people in an Austrian town were guaranteed a job has “eliminated” long-term unemployment there.

The pilot programme designed by Oxford University economists for the Lower Austria municipality of Marienthal was launched in 2020 and offered residents unconditional and well-paid work for more than 12 months.

New results, shared with The Independent, show the policy left participants happier, more financially secure, and more involved in their community – as well as vanquishing joblessness in a region that has previously struggled with it.