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On the Definition of Unemployment and its Implementation in Regis-ter Data - The Case of Germany

Author

Listed:
  • Thomas Kruppe
  • Eva Müller
  • Laura Wichert
  • Ralf A. Wilke

Abstract

In this paper we suggest different implementation strategies for common international and German legal unemployment definitions for the Sample of the Integrated Employment Biogra-phies (IEBS). The IEBS belongs to a new generation of German merged register data that is more comprehensive than previous data sets. Our descriptive figures show large differences in the number of spells and the unemployment duration across different definitions and implemen-tations. This suggests that empirical results of labour market research are likely to depend on the underlying legal definition of unemployment and its implementation in this data.

Suggested Citation

  • Thomas Kruppe & Eva Müller & Laura Wichert & Ralf A. Wilke, 2008. "On the Definition of Unemployment and its Implementation in Regis-ter Data - The Case of Germany," Schmollers Jahrbuch : Journal of Applied Social Science Studies / Zeitschrift für Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin, vol. 128(3), pages 461-488.
    • Handle: RePEc:aeq:aeqsjb:v128_y2008_i3_q3_p461-488
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Fitzenberger Bernd & Wilke Ralf A., 2010. "Unemployment Durations in West Germany Before and After the Reform of the Unemployment Compensation System during the 1980s," German Economic Review, De Gruyter, vol. 11(3), pages 336-366, August.
    2. Waller, Marie, 2007. "Do reported end dates of treatments matter for evaluation results? : an investigation based on the German integrated employment biographies sample," FDZ Methodenreport 200701_en, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany].
    3. Hummel, Elisabeth & Jacobebbinghaus, Peter & Kohlmann, Annette & Oertel, Martina & Wübbeke, Christina & Ziegerer, Manfred, 2005. "Stichprobe der Integrierten Erwerbsbiografien : IEBS 1.0, Handbuch-Version 1.0.0 (Integrated Employment Biographies Sample IEBS 1.0)," FDZ Datenreport. Documentation on Labour Market Data 200506_de, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany].
    4. Lee, Sokbae & Wilke, Ralf A., 2009. "Reform of Unemployment Compensation in Germany: A Nonparametric Bounds Analysis Using Register Data," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, American Statistical Association, vol. 27(2), pages 193-205.
    5. repec:iab:iabfme:200701(en is not listed on IDEAS
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Carrillo-Tudela, Carlos & Launov, Andrey & Robin, Jean-Marc, 2021. "The fall in german unemployment: A flow analysis," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).
    2. Marco Caliendo & Armin Falk & Lutz C. Kaiser & Hilmar Schneider & Arne Uhlendorff & Gerard van den Berg & Klaus F. Zimmermann, 2011. "The IZA Evaluation Dataset: towards evidence‐based labor policy making," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 32(7), pages 731-752, October.
    3. Wolfgang Nagl & Michael Weber, 2014. "Unemployment compensation and unemployment duration before and after the German Hartz IV reform," ifo Working Paper Series 186, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich.
    4. Melanie Arntz & Simon Lo & Ralf Wilke, 2014. "Bounds analysis of competing risks: a non-parametric evaluation of the effect of unemployment benefits on migration," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 46(1), pages 199-228, February.
    5. Kloß, Michael & Nagl, Wolfgang, 2013. "Unemployment compensation and unemployment duration - Evidence from the German Hartz IV reform," VfS Annual Conference 2013 (Duesseldorf): Competition Policy and Regulation in a Global Economic Order 79711, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    6. Wolfgang Nagl & Michael Weber, 2016. "Stuck in a trap? Long-term unemployment under two-tier unemployment compensation schemes," ifo Working Paper Series 231, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich.
    7. S. Anger & F. Frick & J. Goebel & M. Grabka & O. Groh-Samberg & H. Haas & E. Holst & P. Krause & M. Kroh & H. Lohmann & J. Schupp & I. Sieber & T. Siedler & C. Schmitt & C. K. Spieß & I. Tucci & G. G., 2009. "Developing SOEPsurvey and SOEPservice: The (Near) Future of the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP)," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 155, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    8. Fuchs, Michaela & Weyh, Antje, 2014. "Demography and unemployment in East Germany : how close are the ties?," IAB-Discussion Paper 201426, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany].
    9. Ralf Wilke, 2009. "Unemployment Duration in the United Kingdom: An Incomplete Data Approach," Discussion Papers 09/02, University of Nottingham, School of Economics.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • C81 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Data Collection and Data Estimation Methodology; Computer Programs - - - Methodology for Collecting, Estimating, and Organizing Microeconomic Data; Data Access
    • J64 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Unemployment: Models, Duration, Incidence, and Job Search

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