The programmes 1 000 slots were filled by November 2020. The SGE is being closely studied and evaluated in order to provide insights for the State of Berlin's future labour market policy. A range of methods are being used, including surveys of both SGE employees and employers.
While the full impact of the programme is not yet known, the initial evaluation results provide some preliminary indications. The first evaluation report from 2021 suggests that most participants in the SGE programme have a positive view of their work and want to continue in the same position for the next few years. However, a small percentage left the programme, with the majority doing so at the employer's initiative (71%). Those who left mostly returned to unemployment (56%), while a few switched to non-subsidized employment or training (15%). The socio-demographic characteristics of those who left were similar to those who stayed. In 2023, the second evaluation report shows that the SGE project is already achieving some of its goals by relieving participants from job search pressure, enhancing motivation and commitment, and reducing dependence on government payments. Employers value SGE employees and aim to retain them. However, the project's effectiveness in integrating participants into the primary labour market is limited to date, with only a small number securing regular employment. For many employers, there is little incentive to hire employees before the end of the five-year pilot phase or to transfer them to other employers. Some employees also have little motivation to consider alternatives to employment in the SGE at an early stage.
