ABSTRACT
Welfare-to-work is a relatively new idea in the social security world. New Zealand is one of the more converts to the idea of welfare-to-work. A number of elements of the American reforms engaged the attention of the New Zealand observers. The changes have been accompanied by institutional reforms which have been intended to support the welfare-to-work focus and to give best effect to the reforms. Little research has been carried out on public attitudes to welfare, which means it is difficult to form judgments about what impact these initiatives might have had. The whole set of changes has been backed up by efforts to promote a new vision of welfare, centered around the idea of welfare-to-work. The real challenge for welfare-to-work programs lies: to ensure that when the economy is performing at times of peak demand job seekers on the welfare rolls are perceived by employers as useful potential recruits to the workforce.
