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Benefit Entitlement and Unemployment Duration - The Role of Policy Endogeneity

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  • Rafael Lalive
  • Josef Zweim�ller

Abstract

The potential duration of benefits is generally viewed as an important determinant of unemployment duration. This paper evaluates a unique policy change that prolonged entitlement to regular unemployment benefits from 30 weeks to a maximum of 209 weeks for elderly individuals in certain regions of Austria. In the evaluation, we explicitly account for the fact that the program was an endogenous policy response to a crisis affecting individuals with severe labor market problems. The main results are: (i) REBP reduced the transition rate to jobs by 17%; (ii) accounting for endogenous policy adoption is important and quantitatively significant.

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  • Rafael Lalive & Josef Zweim�ller, "undated". "Benefit Entitlement and Unemployment Duration - The Role of Policy Endogeneity," IEW - Working Papers 112, Institute for Empirical Research in Economics - University of Zurich.
    • Handle: RePEc:zur:iewwpx:112
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    quasi-experiments; policy endogeneity; benefit entitlement; maximum benefit duration; unemployment duration; unemployment insurance;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C41 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods: Special Topics - - - Duration Analysis; Optimal Timing Strategies
    • J64 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Unemployment: Models, Duration, Incidence, and Job Search
    • J65 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Unemployment Insurance; Severance Pay; Plant Closings

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