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Do Low-Wage Workers React Less to Longer Unemployment Benefits? Quasi-Experimental Evidence

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  • Centeno, Mario

    (Banco de Portugal)

  • Novo, Alvaro A.

    (Banco de Portugal)

Abstract

The fact that unemployed workers have different abilities to smooth consumption entails heterogeneous responses to extended unemployment benefits. Our empirical exercise explores a quasi-experimental setting generated by an increase in the benefits entitlement period. The results point towards a hump-shape response of unemployment duration over the one-year pre-unemployment wage distribution; individuals at the bottom and at the top of the wage distribution reacted less than those in the interquartile range. This behavior of job searchers is consistent with labor supply models with unemployment insurance and savings. It questions the optimality of very long entitlement periods to target the unemployment experiences of low-wage workers.

Suggested Citation

  • Centeno, Mario & Novo, Alvaro A., 2012. "Do Low-Wage Workers React Less to Longer Unemployment Benefits? Quasi-Experimental Evidence," IZA Discussion Papers 6992, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp6992
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Gonzalez-Rozada, Martin & Ruffo, Hernán, 2016. "Optimal unemployment benefits in the presence of informal labor markets," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 204-227.
    2. Vargas Juliana Mesén & Linden Bruno Van der, 2019. "Why Cash Transfer Programs Can Both Stimulate and Slow Down Job Finding," IZA Journal of Labor Economics, Sciendo & Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 8(1), pages 1-27, June.
    3. Centeno, Mario & Duarte, Claudia & Novo, Alvaro A., 2014. "The Impact of the Minimum Wage on Match Stability," IZA Discussion Papers 8703, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Juliana MESÉN VARGAS & Bruno VAN DER LINDEN, 2017. "Is there always a trade-off between insurance and incentives? The case of unemployment with subsistence constraints," LIDAM Discussion Papers IRES 2017014, Université catholique de Louvain, Institut de Recherches Economiques et Sociales (IRES).
    5. Ignacio Moral-Arce & Javier Martín-Román & Ángel L. Martín-Román, 2019. "Cessation of Activity Benefit for Spanish Self-employed Workers: A Heterogeneous Impact Evaluation," Hacienda Pública Española / Review of Public Economics, IEF, vol. 231(4), pages 41-79, December.
    6. Marta C. Lopes, 2016. "Using the variation in potential duration of unemployment benefits to estimate the causal effect of unemployment duration on re-employment wages," Nova SBE Working Paper Series wp608, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Nova School of Business and Economics.
    7. Martín-Román, Ángel L., 2022. "Beyond the added-worker and the discouraged-worker effects: the entitled-worker effect," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    8. Pauline Leung & Christopher O'Leary, 2015. "Should UI Eligibility Be Expanded to Low-Earning Workers? Evidence on Employment, Transfer Receipt, and Income from Administrative Data," Working Papers 591, Princeton University, Department of Economics, Industrial Relations Section..

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    unemployment duration; liquidity effect; unemployment insurance; entitlement extension;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J65 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Unemployment Insurance; Severance Pay; Plant Closings
    • J64 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Unemployment: Models, Duration, Incidence, and Job Search
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply

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