Jobseeker Profiling in the UK: Developing a better approach

Segmentation is, at its heart, the process of making sure that different groups of people get different things; be it the services they receive, the adverts that they view, or working out who is most at risk of problems like disease or vulnerability to fraud. In its most neutral sense, it means offering less of a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach, and being smarter and more responsive to an increasingly complex and diverse world. Whilst common in the private sector, these techniques are underutilised in the public sector, and especially in the United Kingdom’s welfare system.

This report identifies how improving the UK’s approach to segmentation provides a real opportunity to improve both individuals receive, and their outcomes in terms of both employment and wellbeing. It draws on international evidence about how other countries have successfully innovated, and lays out a program of work WPI Economics will be taking forward in the coming year to help local and national government test new approaches.

Click here to read the report.