A Department of Employment official has admitted the Abbott government has not done any modelling to estimate how many job seekers will find employment within three months after completing its multibillion-dollar work-for-the-dole program.

That is despite the government's own data showing work-for-the-dole programs are the least effective way to help people find jobs.

Department of Employment data shows that - for job seekers in 2013 - only 19.8 per cent of participants in work-for-the-dole schemes found a full- or part-time job within three months.

That compares with 40.3 per cent of people who did unpaid work experience, 28.4 per cent of those who completed some form of work training, 25.7 per cent who were trained in job search techniques, and 21 per cent of those who did voluntary work.

In senate estimates in June, Job Services Australia general manager Moya Drayton was asked by Greens senator Rachel Siewert if the government had any estimates of the proportion of unemployed participants that could expect to find a job within three months after finishing the Abbott government's new work-for-the-dole program.

''The department does not have estimates on the number of job seekers for the under-30 measure expected to be in full or part-time employment three months after participation in work for the dole,'' the department said.

The department also said it had no idea how many people it expected would move off income support as a consequence of being referred to the government's work-for-the-dole program.

The Abbott government has stressed that recent data relates to the former Labor government's work-for-the-dole programs.

''Labor watered down work for the dole and the number of job seekers moving into work decreased under Labor's watch,'' Assistant Minister for Employment Luke Hartsuyker said.

''Our new model is less prescriptive [than Labor's] with a stronger focus on only paying providers for results. It is this new combination of incentives and services that will improve the chances of a person getting a job.''

But Senator Siewert said the government could not be confident its program would be any different to Labor's.

''Given they've done no modelling, on what basis do they know they're going to be any different?'' she said.

''The evidence suggests that work-for-the-dole programs aren't effective, and if you talk to academics and non-government organisations who are engaged with the issue, they don't think it's effective at all.''

As of March 31, there were 17,000 job seekers who were doing work for the dole.

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