Get a job opportunity
Have you been unemployed for a long time, possibly with health restrictions and would like to regain a foothold in the labour market? A work opportunity gives you, as a recipient of citizen's allowance, the opportunity to carry out an activity that prepares you for employment on the labour market.
The activities to be carried out must be additional, non-competitive and in the public interest.
A work opportunity can only be considered if your integration into the labour market cannot be achieved with other benefits. A work opportunity usually lasts up to 24 months. It can be extended by up to 12 months.
Work opportunities are organised by a suitable measure provider. This can be, for example, an educational institution, a charitable and community-orientated company or a non-profit organisation.
The working hours are determined by the job centre on a case-by-case basis.
Your contact person at the job centre will assign you a work opportunity. In addition to your Citizen's Allowance, you will receive an additional expense allowance, for example for additional travelling costs or work clothing. The amount of the additional expense allowance is based on the actual expenses incurred as a result of participating in the work opportunity. You will only receive the additional expenses allowance for hours in which you have actually carried out work, i.e. not for periods of illness, holidays, weekends and public holidays.
You are covered by accident insurance through your programme provider.
If you receive benefits in kind from your programme provider from your own funds, such as a monthly bus and train ticket, your additional work allowance will be reduced accordingly. If you receive additional cash benefits from the programme provider, these will be taken into account as income and offset against your citizen's allowance.
Your organisation will be reimbursed for the costs required to carry out the work opportunity.
The decision on a work opportunity is at the discretion of your job centre. You do not have a legal entitlement to this support.
Responsible authority
Job centre
Details
Prerequisite
- You can be assigned to a work opportunity if
- this benefit is necessary for your integration into work and no other benefit can be considered for you to help you enter the labour market and
- You have not been assigned to work opportunities for more than 24 months within the last 5 years.
- The work opportunity must
- be additional, i.e. the work to be performed would not be carried out without the support, would not be carried out to the same extent or would only be carried out at a later date.
- be in the public interest. Your work must therefore serve the general public, not commercial interests or a limited group of people.
- be competition-neutral, i.e. no regular employment relationship may be displaced or prevented.
Procedure
You will receive a job opportunity from your contact person at the job centre.
- Your contact person will explain the type, scope and duration of the work and tell you who you will be working for. Your interests will also be taken into account.
- The details of the work opportunity will also be communicated to you in writing.
- You can also confirm your assignment online.
Deadlines
None
Required documents
None
Costs
None
Processing time
None. The work opportunity is usually agreed directly during the counselling interview.
Miscellaneous
Further information can be found on the website of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and the Federal Employment Agency:
Federal Employment Agency - Finding work with the help of the job centre
Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs - Information on entry-level benefits
Legal basis
Sozialgesetzbuch (SGB) Zweites Buch (II) - Bürgergeld, Grundsicherung für Arbeitsuchende:
- § 16d Arbeitsgelegenheiten
Release note
Machine generated, based on the German release by: Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Soziales (BMAS) und Wirtschaftsministerium Baden-Württemberg, 04.07.2025