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Unemployment Persistence: Is There Evidence for Stigma Effects?

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  • Biewen, Martin
  • Steffes, Susanne

Abstract

We present evidence for a highly significant interaction between state dependence in individual unemployment risk and the business cycle. The disadvantage from having been unemployed in the previous period is smaller in times of relatively high unemployment and larger in times of low unemployment. This is consistent with the existence of stigma effects in the sense that unemployed individuals face difficulties finding a new job because employers interpret unemployment as a negative signal and do so especially when it is easier to find jobs, i.e. when unemployment is low.

Suggested Citation

  • Biewen, Martin & Steffes, Susanne, 2008. "Unemployment Persistence: Is There Evidence for Stigma Effects?," ZEW Discussion Papers 08-057, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:zewdip:7380
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Unemployment persistence; state dependence; human capital depreciation; stigma effects; scarring;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C23 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models
    • 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

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