In 2021, the Division of Employment Security at the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DOLIR) contracted with the University of Missouri and its subcontractor Actus Policy Research to evaluate the effectiveness of the Missouri Reemployment Services and Eligibility Review (RESEA) program. The program required services-eligible Unemployment Insurance (UI) claimants to meet with job counselors to undergo an eligibility review and receive customized services.
The evaluation included a randomized controlled trial (RCT) impact study to estimate the causal impacts of the program on claimants’ UI receipt, employment, and earnings. Over a 54-week period from the end of December 2021 through the end of December 2022, a total of 38,553 claimants were assigned either to the RESEA group (required to participate in RESEA) or to the control group (not required to participate in RESEA).
The Final Evaluation Report presents the final findings of the RCT impact study. During the study period, Missouri experienced its lowest unemployment period since at least 2005, so the results represent the causal impacts of the program in the context of a strong labor market.
Key evaluation findings include:
The program was successful in increasing receipt of job counseling, with about 57% of RESEA participants receiving job counseling, compared to about 5% of control group claimants.
The program reduced average UI duration by 0.68 weeks, leading to an average $185 in UI savings per participant. In aggregate, the program caused nearly $3.1 million in UI savings during the study period.
The program increased participants’ employment rates by 1.3 to 1.8 percentage points in the first three quarters following program entry, indicating that the program helped participants find jobs.
The program also increased participants’ earnings in the first three quarters after program entry by an aggregate $516, a 2% increase relative to the control group.
Click here for the Final Evaluation Report.