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Unemployment Insurance in Europe: Unemployment Duration and Subsequent Employment Stability

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Author Info
Konstantinos Tatsiramos () (IZA Bonn)

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Abstract

The empirical literature on unemployment insurance has focused on its direct effect on unemployment duration, while the potential indirect effect on employment stability through a more efficient matching process, as the unemployed can search for a longer period, has attracted much less attention. In the European context this is surprising as reform proposals of the unemployment insurance system aiming at reducing high European unemployment rates should consider both effects. This paper provides evidence on the effect of unemployment benefits on unemployment and employment duration in Europe, using individual data from the European Community Household Panel for eight countries. Country specific estimates based on a multivariate discrete proportional hazard model, controlling for observed and unobserved individual heterogeneity, suggest that even if receiving benefits has a direct negative effect increasing the duration of unemployment spells, there is also a positive indirect effect of benefits on subsequent employment duration. This indirect effect is pronounced in countries with relatively generous benefit systems, and for recipients who have remained unemployed for at least six months. In terms of the magnitude of the effect, recipients remain employed on average two to four months longer than non-recipients. This represents a ten to twenty per cent increase relative to the average employment duration, compensating for the additional time spent in unemployment. These findings are in line with theories suggesting a matching effect of unemployment insurance.

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Paper provided by Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in its series IZA Discussion Papers with number 2280.

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Length: 43 pages
Date of creation: Aug 2006
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Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp2280

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Related research
Keywords: unemployment insurance; unemployment duration; employment stability;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
J64 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, and Vacancies - - - Unemployment: Models, Duration, Incidence, and Job Search
J65 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, and Vacancies - - - Unemployment Insurance; Severance Pay; Plant Closings
C41 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods: Special Topics - - - Duration Analysis

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References listed on IDEAS
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    Other versions:
  2. Heckman, James & Singer, Burton, 1984. "A Method for Minimizing the Impact of Distributional Assumptions in Econometric Models for Duration Data," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 52(2), pages 271-320, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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    Other versions:
  4. Jurajda, Stepan, 2002. "Estimating the effect of unemployment insurance compensation on the labor market histories of displaced workers," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 108(2), pages 227-252, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  5. Addison, John T. & Blackburn, McKinley L., 2000. "The effects of unemployment insurance on postunemployment earnings," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 7(1), pages 21-53, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. Marimon, Ramon & Zilibotti, Fabrizio, 1999. "Unemployment vs. Mismatch of Talents: Reconsidering Unemployment Benefits," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 109(455), pages 266-91, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  9. Olympia Bover & Manuel Arellano & Samuel Bentolila, 2002. "Unemployment Duration, Benefit Duration and the Business Cycle," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 112(479), pages 223-265, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  14. Van den Berg, Gerard J., 2001. "Duration models: specification, identification and multiple durations," Handbook of Econometrics, in: J.J. Heckman & E.E. Leamer (ed.), Handbook of Econometrics, edition 1, volume 5, chapter 55, pages 3381-3460 Elsevier. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  17. Card, David & Levine, Phillip B., 2000. "Extended benefits and the duration of UI spells: evidence from the New Jersey extended benefit program," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 78(1-2), pages 107-138, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  18. Ehrenberg, Ronald G & Oaxaca, Ronald L, 1976. "Unemployment Insurance, Duration of Unemployment, and Subsequent Wage Gain," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 66(5), pages 754-66, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Bernd Fitzenberger & Ralf A. Wilke, 2007. "New Insights on Unemployment Duration and Post Unemployment Earnings in Germany: Censored Box-Cox Quantile Regression at Work," IZA Discussion Papers 2609, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  2. repec:ese:iserwp: is not listed on IDEAS
  3. van Ours, Jan C. & Vodopivec, Milan, 2006. "Duration of unemployment benefits and quality of post-unemployment jobs : evidence from a natural experiment," Policy Research Working Paper Series 4031, The World Bank. [Downloadable!]
  4. Ours, Jan C. van & Vodopivec, Milan, 2006. "Shortening the potential duration of unemployment benefits does not affect the quality of post-unemployment jobs: evidence from a natural experiment," Discussion Paper 56, Tilburg University, Center for Economic Research. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  5. Darja Boršič & Alenka Kavkler, 2009. "Modeling Unemployment Duration in Slovenia using Cox Regression Models," Transition Studies Review, Springer, vol. 16(1), pages 145-156, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. Helmut Rainer & Thomas Siedler, 2008. "Social Networks in Determining Migration and Labor Market Outcomes: Evidence from the German Reunification," CRIEFF Discussion Papers 0811, Centre for Research into Industry, Enterprise, Finance and the Firm. [Downloadable!]
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