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Entitled to Leave: the impact of Unenployment Insurance Eligibility on Employment Duration and Job Quality

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  • Khoury, Laura

    (Dept. of Economics, Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration)

  • Briole, Simon

    (Paris School of Economics and JPAL Europe)

  • Brébion , Clément

    (CEET-CNAM and Paris School of Economics)

Abstract

Entitlement conditions are a little explored dimension of unemployment insurance (UI) schemes. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive evaluation of a reform that softened the minimum employment record condition to qualify for UI benefits in France after 2009. Using administrative panel data matching employment and unemployment spells, we first provide clear evidence that the reform induced a separation response at the eligibility threshold. It appears both at the micro level– through a jump in transitions from employment to unemployment – and at the macro level – through the scheduling of shorter contracts, in line with the new eligibility requirements. Exploiting the reform as well as relevant sample restrictions, we then estimate the effects of receiving UI benefits on subsequent labour market outcomes using a regression discontinuity design. Our findings point to a large negative impact of UI benefits receipt on employment probability up to 21 months after meeting the eligibility criterion, which is not counterbalanced by an increase in job quality.

Suggested Citation

  • Khoury, Laura & Briole, Simon & Brébion , Clément, 2020. "Entitled to Leave: the impact of Unenployment Insurance Eligibility on Employment Duration and Job Quality," Discussion Paper Series in Economics 1/2020, Norwegian School of Economics, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:nhheco:2020_001
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    1. Camarero Garcia, Sebastian & Hansch, Michelle, 2020. "The effect of unemployment insurance benefits on (self-)employment: Two sides of the same coin?," ZEW Discussion Papers 20-062, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Unemployment; Employment duration; Behavioural response; Entitlement conditions; Job quality;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H31 - Public Economics - - Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents - - - Household
    • J08 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - General - - - Labor Economics Policies
    • J65 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Unemployment Insurance; Severance Pay; Plant Closings
    • J68 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Public Policy

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