[The Return to Work Status One Year After Vocational Retraining: Is it an Indicator for Long Term Occupational Participation?]

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Vocational retrainings (VR) in the context of vocational rehabilitation are lengthy and expansive interventions. The question is whether the return to work (RTW) 12 months after VR can be a proxy variable for long term income trajectories.

METHODS: Based on register data of the German Pension Insurance (Scientific Use File SUFRSDLV09B) fixed-effects-regressions were calculated to measure the effect of VR on the annual mean daily income in each of the 3 years after VR compared to initial level prior to VR and depending on the RTW.

RESULTS: The mean difference for the daily income was about -20 € per day. For persons being employed prior to the VR a loss of income up to 50 € per day was measured. Persons being unemployed prior to the VR increased their daily income up to 30 €. Moderate to large effects of the RTW could be measured (d=0.52 to 1.33).

CONCLUSION: The RTW 12 months after VR seems to be a good representation for long term income trajectories. Therefore, it can be recommended as an indicator for outcome quality of VR.