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Studies of unemployment have traditionally focused on the welfare state as a framework. In that context, the third sector has been neglected, despite a considerable contribution to the field of unemployment. This comparative study will take a closer look at the activities offered by organizations working with unemployed, which will serve as a basis for exploring the relationship between civil society and state in four European countries. Associations in one city per country, active on this particular field within the third sector, will serve as case studies with the cases representing their welfare regime. Data comprises quantitative data gathered in corporatist Germany, Southern European Italy, paternalistic-market hybrid Poland and Social democratic Sweden. We argue that the role of the civil society organizations active on this area has changed in regard to the traditional pattern of classical welfare state models. This study shows that, regardless of welfare regime type as described in literature, the activities and strategies of the organizations are similar in all four countries.