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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2022 Aug 22.
Published in final edited form as: J Soc Policy. 2022 Feb 14;51(3):611–653. doi: 10.1017/S0047279421001069

Table 3. Overview of the studies for labour market and wider outcomes.

Study characteristics Total sample Labour market outcomes Wider outcomes
n % n % n %
Alla 103 100 68 66.0 35 34.0
Period covered by studyb
   1980s 3 2.9 1 1.5 2 5.7
   1990s 60 58.3 36 52.9 24 68.6
   2000s 34 33.0 26 38.2 8 22.9
   2010s 6 5.8 5 7.4 1 2.8
Publication period
   1990s 2 1.9 2 2.9 - -
   2000s 59 57.3 32 47.1 27 77.1
   2010s 42 40.8 34 50.0 8 22.9
Selected countries/regions
   USA 65 63.1 35 51.5 30 85.7
   Australia 1 1.0 - - 1 2.9
   UK 8 7.7 4 5.9 4 11.4
   Continental Europe 22 21.4 22 32.3 - -
   Nordic countries 7 6.8 7 10.3 - -
Target populationc
   Low-income families/lone parents 66 63.5 36 52.2 30 85.7
   Unemployed people 37 35.5 32 46.4 5 14.3
   People with a disability 1 1.0 1 1.4 - -
Type of programmec
   TANF/AFDC benefitsd 64 61.5 34 49.3 30 85.7
   Unemployment insurance 24 23.1 20 29.0 4 11.4
   Unemployment assistance 15 14.4 14 20.3 1 2.9
   Disability benefits 1 1.0 1 1.4 - -
Sanction effecte
   Take-up 3 2.9 3 4.4 - -
   Threat 9 8.7 8 11.8 1 2.9
   Warning 1 1.0 1 1.5 - -
   Imposed 83 80.6 50 73.5 33 94.2
   Multiple 5 4.9 4 5.9 1 2.9
   Not known 2 1.9 2 2.9 - -
Exposuref
   Full sanctions 40 38.8 29 42.7 11 31.4
   Partial sanctions 18 17.5 16 23.5 2 5.7
   Full or partial sanctions 39 37.9 17 25.0 22 62.9
   Other 6 5.8 6 8.8 - -
Type of sanction indicator
   Individual-level 69 67.0 51 75.0 18 51.4
   Area-level 34 33.0 17 25.0 17 48.6
Unit of analysis
   Individual-level 90 87.4 62 91.2 28 80.0
   Area-level 13 12.6 6 8.8 7 20.0
Type of data
   Administrative data 48 46.6 39 57.4 9 25.7
   Survey data 28 27.2 13 19.1 15 42.8
   Linked admin-survey data 23 22.3 13 19.1 10 28.6
   Other 4 3.9 3 4.4 1 2.9
a

The number in each column exceeds the number of studies in the analytical sample (n=94) due to 9 publications reporting both labour market and wider outcomes;

b

Study period refers to the onset of the period covered by a study when this encompasses more than one decade;

c

The information for ‘Target population’ and ‘Type of programme’ refers to n=104 due to a study reporting outcomes for two target populations exposed to two policy programmes (National Audit Office, 2016b [61]);

d

TANF is defined as ‘Temporary Assistance for Needy Family’, means-tested assistance benefits introduced by the US Federal Government in 1996 to replace the prior grant programme ‘Aid to Families with Dependent Children’ (AFDC);

e

A definition of sanction effect is provided in Section 3;

f

In the US, full sanctions also include full-family sanctions imposed to low-income/lone-parent households in receipt of TANF benefits for work-related non-compliance reported by the head of the household or other adult members.