Does Extending Unemployment Benefits Improve Job Quality?

S-Tier
Journal: American Economic Review
Year: 2017
Volume: 107
Issue: 2
Pages: 527-61

Score contribution per author:

4.022 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 4.0x S-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

Contrary to standard search models predictions, past studies have not found a positive effect of unemployment insurance (UI) on reemployment wages. We estimate a positive UI wage effect exploiting an age-based regression discontinuity design in Austria. A search model incorporating duration dependence predicts two countervailing forces: UI induces workers to seek higher-wage jobs, but reduces wages by lengthening unemployment. Matching-function heterogeneity plausibly generates a negative relationship between the UI unemployment-duration and wage effects, which holds empirically in our sample and across studies, reconciling disparate wage-effect estimates. Empirically, UI raises wages by improving reemployment firm quality and attenuating wage drops.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:aea:aecrev:v:107:y:2017:i:2:p:527-61
Journal Field
General
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-26