Statistical profiling of unemployed jobseekers : the increasing availability of big data allows for the profiling of unemployed jobseekers via statistical models

Statistical models can help public employment services to identify factors associated with long-term unemployment and to identify groups at risk. Statistical profiling models will probably even become more prominent as new machine learning techniques in combination with the increasing availability of big data will improve their predictive power. However, a policy maker cannot just define an outcome variable at the start of the project and walk away: a continuous dialogue between data analysts, policy makers and caseworkers is very important. Indeed, throughout the process, normative decisions are to be made: profiling practices misclassify many individuals. They can reinforce but also prevent existing patterns of discrimination.